[helmutcheese]

You may get 3 for 3!

"For LDAC, we have communicated closely with Qualcomm since the release of UTWS5. Recently, we have made some progress by testing the complete code in FW5. We will try to add LDAC support for UTWS5 if we can."


https://forum.fiio.com/note/showNoteContent.do?id=202212192236027791182&tid=4

 

[mcnaugha]

Pity FiiO did not use the QCC5171 instead of a 2-year-old chip in the new FW5's, but hey they have LDHC.

I thought the same but attributed it again to the chip shortage. Bigger orders probably got the available QCC5171’s, e.g. Bose and Nura.

The next problem is that even if they start to use the QCC5171, that’s the QCC5181 now in production. Same goes for the QCC308x series. I suppose they’ve got 6+ months to sell us all 5171/3071 products before the Gen 2 SoC‘s are due to appear in products. The cycle never ends does it!?!

 

[mcnaugha]

You may get 3 for 3!

"For LDAC, we have communicated closely with Qualcomm since the release of UTWS5. Recently, we have made some progress by testing the complete code in FW5. We will try to add LDAC support for UTWS5 if we can."


https://forum.fiio.com/note/showNoteContent.do?id=202212192236027791182&tid=4

It’s all too little too late for me. UTWS5 sold. M11 Plus ESS sold. BTA30 Pro sold. XM4’s sold. I’ve put all my eggs in the aptX Lossless basket now.

Besides, I saw a pretty harsh review of the FW5’s. I know these things are subjective but the customer wasn’t impressed with the sound signature at all.

 

[mcnaugha]

Finally got word my Nura transmitter is shipping today. Two day service, so probably won't see it until 3rd or 4th Jan.

 

[helmutcheese]

Bummer.

 

[mcnaugha]

In other news, I got frustrated with my ROG Phone 6 converted CN (China) model and ended up buying a proper UK Zenfone 9 instead.

I hadn't understood that in order to change the phone from CN to WW/Global they'd unlock the bootloader it as part of the process. In doing so, ASUS immediately blocks the phone from their OTA service. This isn't a huge problem because you can still go to their site and manually obtain the latest update, drop it at the top level of the internal storage and the system picks it up right away and offers to install it. However you are also not allowed on their beta testing program either. So, these two things, as well as their support treating me like a second class citizen because I'd obtained this CN-only model, made me cave and decide to switch to the Zenfone. So, I still have my aptX Lossless DAP/transmitter but it's now in a much smaller handset.

I would like to keep the ROG Phone 6 but it doesn't make financial sense to do so. eBay here it comes. It's a gorgeous beast of a handset and the tiny little things you can't get because it's a CN convert probably shouldn't be show stopping for a normal person. Unfortunately, I'm not that normal.

 

[lctang]

16/48 vs 24/96

 

[DrTesla]

Finally got word my Nura transmitter is shipping today. Two day service, so probably won't see it until 3rd or 4th Jan.

I am on the verge of buying it, to test it out.
Currently looking for a decent set of TWS and adapter combo for my work.
Aptx Adaptive dongle has been actually enough for casual listening, but i am not satisfied with the call/microphone quality of Soundpeats Air 3 Pro. There is too much background noise when outside and it seems to struggle with saturation.
Do you think this is codec or mic hardware related? I find it too troublesome to always look for aptx adaptive TWS and dongles. Bluetooth audio market is so messed up.

 

[mcnaugha]

I am on the verge of buying it, to test it out.
Currently looking for a decent set of TWS and adapter combo for my work.
Aptx Adaptive dongle has been actually enough for casual listening, but i am not satisfied with the call/microphone quality of Soundpeats Air 3 Pro. There is too much background noise when outside and it seems to struggle with saturation.
Do you think this is codec or mic hardware related? I find it too troublesome to always look for aptx adaptive TWS and dongles. Bluetooth audio market is so messed up.

I’m personally not a good advisor on using the mic on my TWS earbuds. I rarely use it. I did try testing with the NuraTrue Pro’s and a phone supporting Qualcomm aptX Voice but I wasn’t impressed. I questioned whether I was actually using aptX Voice as the quality wasn’t any different than without it. Although my test was leaving myself a voicemail and that may have been affected by the voicemail system’s method of storing the voice recordings. They may be using a very lossy format for that which would invalidate the test. I would need another way of capturing the true quality at the time of the call.

 

[mcnaugha]

Bummer.

Just received word my Nura Transmitter is out for delivery between 19:00 and 21:00 tonight. How strange. A two day service took just one day and why are they making their poor drivers work this late on NYE!?! Maybe it’s a computer glitch. Watch this space!

 

[mcnaugha]

It’s here!

it’s pretty small. For size comparison:

It does not integrate with the app. Codec control is automatic, with the exception of enforcing a gaming (low latency) mode.

 

[mcnaugha]

I am using them with the PX8, so when you switch codecs using Android developer options, the PX8 makes a chime. When I change with the Nura, it does not chime, so that confirms what you guys are saying, as it uses the same codec, adaptive.

In regards to quality (my ears), when in game mode, there is depth, detail and stereo separation, and I instantly start bobbing my head

But adaptive with the Nura, I don't get the same response.

Two other non-scientific tests I have carried out are to connect to my phone, change to AAC, and use the Bowers and Wilkins App with Tidal, which sounds great.

I also connected PX8 to my Nvidia shield, which has apt-X HD, and they sounded phenomenal that what made me buy the transmitter for my phone.

Now, if others can't replication this or can, I may return the Nura in favor of the creative BT-W4 or W3 (if aptX HD sounds better for me) if that can do the trick, any experience with either transmitter?

here’s my initial thoughts now that I can test with my Nura transmitter…

So, my first test track is “End of Line (Remixed by Photek)” by Daft Punk in 16-bit/44.1kHz. I listen from about 0:30 to 1:10 in both modes. There’s no vocals in this, meaning that I wouldn’t hear if they came through better.

When I listen to it in game mode, there is what I would call an increase in crispness but this seems to come with noise. when I switch back to normal, my ears do prefer what I’m hearing.


To give vocals a test and a nod to the Queen of Australia… my second track is “Lost Without You” by Kylie Minogue in 24-bit/96kHz and I listen to just over a minute of that from the start.

I think again, I prefer non-game HQ mode. The difference isn’t as obvious with this track but there’s something of a loss of depth when in game mode that comes back when you switch back to HQ mode. It sounds slightly cheap or something like that In game mode.

I’m sure it’s personal taste or content. I can’t say if you’ve gotten a faulty unit either. It’s just a little too subjective.

 

[helmutcheese]

I do not think they have an App for the Dongle correct?

If not they should so you can see what is going on and change Codecs etc.

 

[mcnaugha]

I do not think they have an App for the Dongle correct?

If not they should so you can see what is going on and change Codecs etc.

They have an app called Nura. It works with all their other products. Just not this dongle.

Codec-wise are a little disjointed between the spec and the documentation. The spec says:

Adaptive
Classic
SBC
“Low latency game mode”

The documentation claims the actual aptX LL codec is present and will be used when game mode is active and the receiving device supports LL. It doesn’t confirm exactly what happens with receivers which don’t support the LL codec. So I can only assume it presets Adaptive to its LL-like mode.

 

[master grunthos]

This is an interesting thread.

I'd like to upgrade the Bluetooth audio output on my Microsoft Surface Pro 6 beyond Aptx. The use case is as follows:

Headphones/recievers:
1 - Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (SBC, AAC, Aptx, Aptx HD, Aptx Adaptive)
2 - Hifiman Deva Pro with R2R Bluemini (SBC, AAC, Aptx, Aptx HD, LDAC)
3 - Qudelix 5k (Everything)

Transmitters:
Sony Xperia 5iii (SBC, AAC, Aptx, Aptx HD, Aptx Adaptive, LDAC, also includes Snapdragon sound) - don't need the dongle here.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (SBC, AAC, Aptx, LDAC*)

*I tried the Beta Alternative A2DP drivers for Windows from Bluetoothgoodies.com and they do work up to 660 kbps with the LDAC devices. At 900 kbps there's stuttering and the music is slow with any sample frequency on both devices 2 and 3.

The Nura or Creative USB dongles look like options as they maintain portability while achieving Aptx HD/Adaptive depending on the receiver. Based on listening tests I can't tell the difference between LDAC, Aptx HD and Adaptive and in fact LDAC is substantially less stable. So, achieving a minimum of Aptx HD is fine.

On the Sony phone I can swap between codecs manually under developer settings. With the Quedelix and M4Ws I can use the respective app to check the codec being used (no such option on the Hifiman R2R but Bluetooth Tweaker shows what codecs are compatible.)

Based on my reading of the backward compatibility of Aptx Adaptive with HD a transmitter with Adaptive should be able to provide HD to a receiver that has HD but no Adaptive. This would be the case for the Deva Pro R2R, which I would need to make sure received HD rather than Aptx Classic. Is this correct?

Thanks

MG