"About wireless audio, you are absolutely right, than when in a mobile and busy environment, the differences are likely negligible, as you may be distracted by environment noise and it is also nearly impossible to zoom into the music without compromising on safety.
Of course, these are subjective based on individual. But priority in an outdoor environment will be to prevent drop-off, and to achieve it, the scalable Bluetooth codec will usually reduce to low bit-rate for a more stable connection.
With regards to the sound quality of apt-x lossless, it is quite unfortunate that I have not tested it, as I mentioned, due to limited source. But I am trying to borrow a Sony phone to be able to test out further.
Prior to the launch of Momentum True Wireless 4 with its apt-X Lossless, I was able to test apt-X, apt-X HD, LDAC and AAC vs wired (USB and Aux) in a semi-controlled condition, where everything is the same, other than the connection.
The equipment I used is an Astell & Kern SP 2000T, ifI DSD Gryphon and IE 600, and playing Nat King Cole’s L-O-V-E and ACDC Shoot to Thrill.
With my colleague, the biggest impression formed on us is not just the increase in detail retrieval, but an obvious increase in soundstage. I can write a lot about it, but here is the brief (not-so) recap:
In the case of SBC and apt-X, the sound is akin to a HD 600 space where it is intimate and goes from ear-to-ear (in-head). The separation between instruments are neglible and it can be perceived to be murky.
And as we switch to the Hi-Res codec, tonality of the music change as the bass gives a speedier perception and the soundstage expanded outwards into the space around the head. With the expansion of the soundstage, the perception of layering (or depth) becomes noticable.
What is interesting is that the AAC codec perform quite closely with apt-X HD, even though AAC is not a high-resolution codec
But the best performance goes to LDAC, where the piano tap reverbate very crystal clearly and I can hear clearly the air reverb from the trumpet in L-O-V-E. But I was able to achieve that as I was able to toggle the highest 990kbps while apt-X HD capped at 570kbps
I personally will love to also experience apt-X Lossless and the latest LC3+, and I will share with you once I have tested."
Wee Hong, Kuan
Senior Product Manager, Global Audiophile Segment Of Sennheiser
