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AAC / AptX force on Big Sur?

Not anymore but there are 2 sure ways:
- through BluetoothExplorer -> Tools (in top menu) -> Audio Graphs -> "Active Audio Codec: .." in bottom section
- through Console.app -> add filters in search bar: "process:bluetoothaudiod" + "message:Input format:" / "message:Output format:"
 
BTW, playing around with the console.app, I find that if you press Start before connecting your headphones AND before playing some audio, you get a lot more information as the various components start up.

After connecting, the only info I see is for coreaudiod (and searching for the word format), but if I record from beforehand, there are explicit logs with "AptX", "AAC", "Set current codec", which is much more meaningful. These come from bluetoothaudiod.
 
GumaRodak said:
there is an easy terminal command...you dont have to download any utilities

for aptx:
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX codec" -bool true

for AAC:
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AAC codec" -bool true

for verification:
sudo defaults read bluetoothaudiod

was working in catalina so i hope it works in big sur too... :) altought i dont know how to verify in bluetooth connected device.
before i pressed opt+click on bluetooth icon to see the streamed codec...in big sur i dont know how to do it :)
Click to expand...
I tried this command for both of them and then it proceeded to ask me the password which I entered in. After that it showed nothing, no confirmation or anything.
 
AltarOfSpuds said:
BTW, playing around with the console.app, I find that if you press Start before connecting your headphones AND before playing some audio, you get a lot more information as the various components start up.

After connecting, the only info I see is for coreaudiod (and searching for the word format), but if I record from beforehand, there are explicit logs with "AptX", "AAC", "Set current codec", which is much more meaningful. These come from bluetoothaudiod.
Click to expand...
Can you elaborate on what you did?
 
KV2808 said:
I tried this command for both of them and then it proceeded to ask me the password which I entered in. After that it showed nothing, no confirmation or anything.
Click to expand...
Yes, there's no feedback. To confirm do sudo defaults read bluetoothaudiod and you should see those settings match.
 
KV2808 said:
Can you elaborate on what you did?
Click to expand...
Console.app is basically a log recorder with a search function, where you need to choose when to push start. There is limited information to search if you push start after the headset is connected. However, if you push start before you are connected AND before you've started your audio program, you'll get a large about of logs that can search for details.
 
AltarOfSpuds said:
Console.app is basically a log recorder with a search function, where you need to choose when to push start. There is limited information to search if you push start after the headset is connected. However, if you push start before you are connected AND before you've started your audio program, you'll get a large about of logs that can search for details.
Click to expand...
Okay so I fixed the sound on my headphones but this method renders my microphone useless.
Here is an article I used for reference, my WH-H190N headphones aparrrently have the same issue as the airpods mentioned. https://swissmacuser.ch/airpods-suddenly-change-to-low-quality-audio-in-macos/

So I went to Audio MIDI setup and then basically the headphones are split into two separate channels and the fault is 16.00 mgHz when it should be dual channel output with 48.000 mgHz, it wasn't letting me change it manually and this issue really only happens when I am calling so I simply just changed my microphone to the mac Internal microphone and that fixed my sound issue but I still want to know how to fix the mic.
 
KV2808 said:
Despite this I cannot use my mic otherwise my sound quality will be significantly worse. Do you know of anything that can fix that?
Click to expand...
No. Usually when the mic is on, the headphone is connected in headset mode, which is a different bluetooth profile, and operates completely differently.

Maybe some headphones support this better, or simultaneous connections (bluetooth 5 added this I believe). Your other option would be to use a different microphone: built-in, external, or even wireless. That said, I can imagine fighting with your computer to suppress the headset mode, and otherwise use your desired devices.
 
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AltarOfSpuds said:
No. Usually when the mic is on, the headphone is connected in headset mode, which is a different bluetooth profile, and operates completely differently.

Maybe some headphones support this better, or simultaneous connections (bluetooth 5 added this I believe). Your other option would be to use a different microphone: built-in, external, or even wireless. That said, I can imagine fighting with your computer to suppress the headset mode, and otherwise use your desired devices.
Click to expand...
Okay so I fixed the sound on my headphones but this method renders my microphone useless.
Here is an article I used for reference, my WH-H190N headphones apparently have the same issue as the airpods mentioned. https://swissmacuser.ch/airpods-suddenly-change-to-low-quality-audio-in-macos/

So I went to Audio MIDI setup and then basically the headphones are split into two separate channels and the fault is 16.00 mgHz when it should be dual channel output with 48.000 mgHz, it wasn't letting me change it manually and this issue really only happens when I am calling so I simply just changed my microphone to the mac Internal microphone and that fixed my sound issue but I still want to know how to fix the mic.
(What I said here is what I said from above)

So there is no other way to fix this (I am clarifying). I have to use an in-built mic or another mic right?
 
GumaRodak said:
there is an easy terminal command...you dont have to download any utilities

for aptx:
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX codec" -bool true

for AAC:
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AAC codec" -bool true

for verification:
sudo defaults read bluetoothaudiod

was working in catalina so i hope it works in big sur too... :) altought i dont know how to verify in bluetooth connected device.
before i pressed opt+click on bluetooth icon to see the streamed codec...in big sur i dont know how to do it :)
Click to expand...
It shows "Enable AptX codec" = 1; which hopefully means it's activated but when i check console it still shows that it uses either SBC or SOC so do i disable SOC or something?
 
You would think there would be an app. we could purchase to easily switch between AAC and aptX. I've got some Bower & Wilkins PI7 headphones ordered. But I'll be switching off between these and iPod Pro Max headphones. I guess I'm too lazy to do the work arounds over and over ;)

It seem a lot of people out there think aptX is superior to AAC.
 
k_7 said:
AptX works for me on M1 mini 11.2.2
use older codex tools and graph button to check active codec

View attachment 1738989
Click to expand...

in regards to the above, in Monterray none of this stuff works anymore for me. Graphs are blank, and none of the boxes stay checked, and cant use option key / click on bluetooth device to see AAC or bitrate status

edit: im not the only one who noticed this, at least its not a bug on my end....broken by design

audio - Does macOS Monterey still honour `bluetoothaudiod.plist`? - Ask Different (stackexchange.com)
 
Last edited:
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