Audio codec for Bluetooth on Xiaomi: which one to choose for the best sound?

Choosing the right Bluetooth audio codec on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones can dramatically change the sound quality of your wireless headphones, from dim “air” to almost studio-wide clarity. But the dozen available standards (SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, LHDC, and others) are not easy to figure out: which one really works on your model, and which is just a marketing “dumb”?

In this article, we will not only compare all the current codecs in terms of sound quality, latency and power consumption, but also show how to check the supported standards on your Xiaomi, force the right codec (if possible) and bypass typical problems - for example, when a smartphone "stubbornly" uses SBC instead of aptX. And also analyze the myths: is it true that the LDAC on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra sounds better than on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ due to different Bluetooth chips?

What is Bluetooth audio codec and why is it important?

The audio codec is a compression algorithm that determines how music is transmitted over Bluetooth from a smartphone to a headphone.

• 🎵 Sound quality: bitrate (from 128 kbit / s to 990 kbit / s), sampling frequency (up to 96 kHz), support for Hi-Res Audio.
• ⚡ Energy consumption: complex codecs (e.g, LDAC) discharge the battery faster than SBC.
• ⏱️ Latency: Critical for games and video (aptX) LL reduces latency to 30 ms).
• 🔄 Compatibility: Not all codecs work on all devices (e.g, LHDC Only Xiaomi flagships are supported).

The problem is that Xiaomi (and other manufacturers) often hide the real-world capabilities of Bluetooth chips. For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ specs say “Bluetooth 5.3,” but it doesn’t specify whether it supports aptX Adaptive or LHDC. And without that information, you can listen to music for years in a stripped-down quality without even knowing it.

What audio codecs support Xiaomi smartphones?

The list of available codecs depends on the smartphone model, Bluetooth version and MIUI firmware. Below is a table with support for codecs on popular devices (data is relevant for MIUI 14/15 and HyperOS):

⚠️ Note: Even if your smartphone supports LDAC or LHDC, These codecs may not work with some headphones. WH-1000XM5 support LDAC, not LHDC, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro – the opposite.

💡

To find out what codecs are available on your Xiaomi, install the Bluetooth Codec Info app from Google Play.It will show all supported standards and the current active codec.

Codec Comparison: Which is Best for Music, Games and Talks

Not all codecs are equally useful. Here is an honest comparison based on the real-world experience of Xiaomi:

• 🔊 SBC: Basic codec, works everywhere, but the sound is flat (bitrate up to 328 kbps.
• 🎧 AAC: Better. SBC for music (up to 250 kbps), but Android often performs worse than iPhone.
• 🎵 aptX/aptX HD: Optimal balance of quality (up to) 576 kbit/s) and compatibility. aptX Adaptive automatically adjusts the bitrate (from 279 before 420 quid).
• 🎛️ LDAC: Maximum quality (up to 990 kbps), but high power consumption and possible "failures" of sound in the conditions of interference.
• 🔋 LHDC: The alternative LDAC from Huawei (up to) 900 kbit/s, better optimized for Android. Supported only on Xiaomi flagships (13/14 series).

For games, the best choice is aptX Low Latency (~30ms latency) or LHDC LL (if supported); for music, aptX Adaptive or LDAC (if there are no interference problems); SBC will suffice for conversations.

How to force the right codec on Xiaomi

By default, MIUI and HyperOS choose the codec automatically, but sometimes this choice is suboptimal. For example, a smartphone can get stuck on an SBC even if the headphones support aptX.

1. Through Developer Options (for power users): Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version and tap 7 times. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developers. Find Bluetooth Audio Codec and select the desired standard manually.
2. Through the Bluetooth Codec Changer app (requires root): The app allows you to force codec for specific devices, but only works on rooted smartphones.

Make sure the headphones support the selected codec

Check the battery level (LDAC/LHDC discharges faster)

Disable other Bluetooth devices (may cause interference)

Reboot your smartphone after the changes-->

⚠️ Attention: Compulsory inclusion LDAC on Xiaomi budget models (e.g. Redmi) 10A) This can cause loss of connection or distortion of sound due to limitations of Qualcomm's Bluetooth chips. QCC30xx, who can't handle high bitrate.

Typical Problems and How to Solve Them

Even if you choose the "right" codec, it can be difficult.

• 🎮 Sound Latency in Games: Turn on aptX Low Latency or use headphones with support LHDC LL (For example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro).

If problems persist, try resetting your Bluetooth settings:

Settings → Connections → Bluetooth → ⚙️ (cogs) → Reset settings

💡

On Xiaomi with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips (like Xiaomi 13 Ultra), LHDC often performs more stable than LDAC, due to better hardware optimization.

Which codec to choose for specific Xiaomi headphones?

If you use Xiaomi headphones, here are the optimal codec settings:

For headphones from other brands (such as Sony or Sennheiser), give priority to their “native” codecs: LDAC for Sony, aptX for Sennheiser.

Myths about audio codecs on Xiaomi: what is true and what is not

There are many misconceptions about Bluetooth codecs, and we'll look at the most popular ones.

• 🚫 Myth 1: «LDAC Always better than aptX. Reality: LDAC has a higher bitrate, but in practice the difference in quality is noticeable only on high-quality tracks (FLAC, WAV) And good headphones. LDAC It compresses sound more strongly, which can lead to artifacts.
• 🚫 Myth 2: «AAC Xiaomi sounds as good as iPhone.Reality: Implementation AAC Android (including Xiaomi) is inferior to iPhone due to lack of hardware acceleration.
• 🚫 Myth 3: «Xiaomi cannot be included on budget aptX/LDAC». Reality: Some budget models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) support aptX despite not mentioning in specs. Check via Bluetooth Codec Info.

💡

If you listen to music from streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Yandex Music), the difference between codecs will be minimal - most services transmit audio in a compressed format (Ogg Vorbis, AAC 256 kbit / s), which will not reveal the advantages of LDAC or aptX.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Bluetooth codecs on Xiaomi