Qualcomm released a new Bluetooth codec called aptX Lossless, which is part of the previously released Snapdragon Sound program.
Through aptX Lossless, Qualcomm makes 16bit/44.1kHz CD quality audio, often called lossless, via Bluetooth.
That way, audio streaming services that provide lossless quality, such as Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, or Tidal, can be enjoyed wirelessly. Although of course it will not be as optimal as using a cable.
The first devices with aptX Lossless are expected to be available in early 2022. Since Snapdragon Sound relies heavily on hardware support, both mobile phones and wireless earphones/headphones must support this new codec.
However, if they both support aptX Lossless, then Snadpragon Sound will detect lossless quality audio sources automatically, and can play songs with a much higher bitrate than before, namely aptX HD.
Qualcomm claims aptX Lossless can send data larger than Sony's LDAC, which is 1Mbps compared to 990kbps. But keep in mind, the audio sent via Bluetooth is still experiencing compression, because the bitrate of the CD is usually still higher, which is 1.4Mbps.
Even so, Qualcomm claims to do this latest lossless compression to be able to send - mathematically - the results of bit for bit audio reproduction.
In addition, of course the audio quality sent via Bluetooth will not be constant at 1Mbps, but will change dynamically depending on the conditions of the density of the wireless network around the user, as low as 140kbps.
From our experience using aptX HD and LDAC across multiple devices and in a variety of places, keeping the max bitrate (990kbps on LDAC) consistently difficult is difficult, especially in congested areas. This happens possibly due to signal interference that interferes with the connection.
