FYLegend
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2013
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Is there a non-Qualcomm/CSR TWS that currently supports AptX codec? If they don't want to bring it to non-Qualcomm chips, it might be because they want to tout the "True Wireless Stereo Plus" feature exclusively on their chips.It is more of a question if Qualcomm would provide/license Sony with the necessary codecs (receiver) for the chip in the WF-1000XM3. It would not be in Qualcomm's best interest to do that, and they'd rather Sony buy Qualcomm's BT chips with aptX support included.
From my investigating, that WF-1000XM3 page on the aptX was online since February 14th. If it was a mistake, it should have been removed but it was up for 2 weeks. The photo from the WF-1000XM3 page is still on Qualcomm's server, so either they didn't delete (likely) it or an update to aptX is still coming. I am hopeful but doubt it. The odd thing is, this happened on Qualcomm's own aptX site, and not some third party site, so why they would put it up without confirming this is puzzling.
Qualcomm has provided the necessary aptX codec for their older walkmans (A30, A40,A50, ZX500), since they all could work with aptX headphones, even though their Bluetooth chips were mediatek based and not from Qualcomm. So I suspect Qualcomm has no issue with providing manufacturers with access to the aptX codec (transmission) since then these products are compatible with headphones using Qualcomm's BT chips with atpX support. There are countless other media players that also support aptX, and I am sure not all of them use Qualcomm's BT chips.
So unless Qualcomm has changed their mind or come to some agreement with Sony regarding aptX support on the WF-1000XM3, I do not think we will see aptX on them. I feel LDAC is more likley (330 option) rather than aptX but I heard that is planned for the successor, WF-1000XM4. Sony could add LDAC at this very moment to the WF-1000XM3 but because battery life would take a big hit, they decided not to include it, since lackluster battery life was one complaint with the first generation WF-1000X and Sony's goal was to fix this.
As for the chip in the WF-1000XM3, it is a Mediatek MT2811, so this is why no baked in aptX support. Quite a few other Sony headsets are on this platform, all of the h.ear on 3 line and WI-1000XM2, with at least 1 or 2 more upcoming truly wireless headsets as well (WF-SP800N, WF-XB700). Sony has dropped aptX support on the account of the new chip, h.ear on 3 and WI-1000XM2 all lack aptx, but do include LDAC.
Aside from potentially higher quality audio or lower latency, and the fact that Windows 10 doesn't support AAC, I really don't see much hype in the QCC3020. I saw many reviews touting single-bud use but it is clunky compared to solutions by Realtek/Airoha. You'd expect a TWS with independent connections to simply turn one of them off instead of pausing everything. Only El Jefe's recent Top 5 list really took note of this issue.
It's also interesting the Audio-Technica ATH-CK3TW supports AptX but not AAC. If they're using QCC3020, I strongly suspect they disabled it intentionally.
I'm wondering if anyone here has fiddled around with the Gaia Control app. It seems to be a way to get into the backend of CSR chips and update firmware...