KDE Neon - Force bluetooth aptx instead of LDAC? ...or fix bluetooth stuttering
Hi guys! Is there a way to get my KDE Neon to prefer aptX over ldac_HQ? If I understand it correctly, ldac seems to be a bit more unstable jumping over different bitrates when having interference, and aptX might be more stable? I'd like to try the difference, but not sure how to force Neon to work with the aptX codec with my headsets (Sony XM2 and XM5). I'm trying all this because I don't seem to be able to get any decent audio quality. It's super broken, stuttering constantly. Even changing from A2DP sink to the HFP mode (which I understand it to have lower bitrate and latency due to being designed for talking) improves it just very slightly, with the stutter continuing. This doesn't happen if I boot into windows on the same computer, audio works flawlessly.
Uhh, go to audio preferences, then advanced settings, and the output for your Bluetooth should have a drop down with ldac, aptx and sbc/etc.
It's the same place you switch a particular output from analog to digital or headphones to 5.1, it should have all the options, it's how I do it.
Thank you! I've been getting so annoyed that I couldn't figure out my stuttering with my BT headphones.
Np, I think LDAC is a bit wonky anyway, but I had it working ok as long as I have a usb bt dongle with an antenna: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Wireless-Transfer-Transmitter-Headphones/dp/B0C1ZDYFSZ
But otherwise you need to stick with aptx, or there's the other one which is ok too, aac.
Thanks...where's that advanced settings you mention? I don't seem to be able to find it. On the headset I'm only allowed to choose the audio container, between A2DP sink and HFP, but no specifics regarding LDAC or AptX. https://imgur.com/a/zi6YJZU
Check, sec I have to look, there's a library that helps with codecs.
Your headset doesn't support anything above sbc I think.
That...is not correct. As mentioned, these are the higher end Sony XM2 and XM5. They support LDAC, at least the XM2 also AptX and HD, and some others.
Yeah, I added later, you might need to add the bluez stack to get proper ldac and aptx support, pulseudio only supports sbc by default.
...on OP I did mention that ldac_HQ was already being selected, and stuttering. I wanted to change to aptX instead. So bluez stack is/was installed. But nevermind, I ended up changing the whole audio stack to pipewire. Seems to work much better than pulseaudio, and has more options to individually choose my specific codec, not just the container (sbc/a2dp sink).
Pulseaudio is... bad.
I'm just wondering how you knew you were on ldac if it didn't show up in output settings, I mean I have a led that says, but I'd want to know from linux too.
Hmmm some of the console commands I was using for troubleshooting listed the enabled codec. But no idea on how to change it from there.
Sorry, I sent this reply to myself:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Bluetooth_headset
Anyway, had the same fight with bluez5, pipewire fixed it too, is there nothing it can't solve?
Here, read this, sounds like you are stuck with garbage pulseaudio, you need to upgrade to the proper stack: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Bluetooth_headset
I'd also like to know, some I'm having issues with my Bluetooth headset cutting in and out in Linux, but has no issues when I boot into windows