Is LDAC broken? Stuck on 'Best Effort'

[neil74]

I have had an issue for a while now, I had it with the Sony M2s, M3s and now the M4s that I just bought too. With very few exceptions selecting the best playback quality setting for LDAC does not work and the phones are stuck on the 'Best Effort' setting. The audio quality option is available and you can pick it but it does not actually change or stick.

I have used a lot of phones and the only ones where it has worked ok are the P30 Pro and S10 plus. In that time I have used the Pixel 3, Pixel 4, S20 ultra, S20 plus, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pro, Pixel 5 and now a Note 20 Ultra and none of them allow me to choose the 'Optimised for audio quality' setting. As I understand it the bitrate for Best Effort does vary across devices but there is no way of knowing what it chooses i.e. some phones will choose 660 but others 330.

Interested in others experience with this?

 

[castleofargh]

For any BT format, you need for the source and the headphone to handle that format. So if a device has a given codec as an option, the first idea that comes to mind is that the BT headphone doesn't.
Another frequent situation is if you're using multipoint connection(2 devices connected at once in BT).

As you describe a repeating occurrence, I would bet on one of those causes.

 

[neil74]

I have an update, there is a workaround to get it working at least on the Pixel 5.

If you change another of the BT settings and then change the quality it works (then change the other setting back again)

The issue is though that on the Note 20 ultra the 990kbps option is choppy so is not usable, 660 works fine. 990 plays fine on the Pixel 5. The change does not stick on either though so needs setting again for each use.

 

[neil74]

Realise I am talking to myself here but in case anybody is interested 990kbps does work on the Note 20 ultra but only if the screen is off. As with the pixel it still does not stick though.

Wish there was a way to know what bitrate best effort uses as it if uses 660, I'd probably stick with that for less hassle.

 

[Muddy Walter]

I use LDAC a lot with phones, portable BT dac/amps & wired cans. I tried that trick of changing other settings before/after the bitrate but it never stuck, stayed at Best Effort (without defining what that was).
However, in January this year, one of my phones upgraded to 11 and now Optimised for audio sticks but can be choppy depending on signal.
(660kbps sticks without choppiness)

 

[neil74]

I use LDAC a lot with phones, portable BT dac/amps & wired cans. I tried that trick of changing other settings before/after the bitrate but it never stuck, stayed at Best Effort (without defining what that was).
However, in January this year, one of my phones upgraded to 11 and now Optimised for audio sticks but can be choppy depending on signal.
(660kbps sticks without choppiness)

What phone? Only phone I have found that sticks is the P40 pro and older P30 pro.

 

[Muddy Walter]

What phone? Only phone I have found that sticks is the P40 pro and older P30 pro.

A Motorola G Pro (Europe only).

 

[478423]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite (International Version). This phone has given me no issues with LDAC other than increased bluetooth lag. Maybe I got lucky though. In bluetooth settings for this phone using a BTR5, I can use it by clicking on Fiio BTR5, then going to codecs and turning it on. It doesn't turn off and the setting stays on unless I manually turn it off.