What audio codec to choose for Bluetooth on Xiaomi in 2026: a comparison SBC, AAC, aptX LDAC

Why Choosing an Audio Codec Is Important for Xiaomi

When you connect wireless headphones or speakers to a Xiaomi smartphone over Bluetooth, the sound quality depends not only on the devices themselves, but also on the audio codec you choose. This small but critical parameter determines how clearly the music will be transmitted, how much power the battery will use and even the sound lag when watching a video, POCO Mi don’t even know that their gadget supports several codecs – and not all of them are equally good.

In 2026, Xiaomi offers a wide range of smartphones – from the budget Redmi Note 13 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra – and each of them works with different codecs, SBC It is everywhere, but it is not the best quality, but LDAC It's going to give you Hi-Res Audio, but it's going to eat more battery, and how do you avoid getting confused in these acronyms and choose the best option? In this article, we're going to look at all the popular codecs, their pros and cons, and we're going to give you specific recommendations for different scenarios, from listening to music to playing games.

Spoiler: on smartphones Xiaomi with MIUI 14+ The default codec is often put on SBC, And although it can support more advanced options, you have to manually enable them.

What audio codecs support Xiaomi smartphones in 2026

Xiaomi’s latest devices (starting with models on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and later, and on the Dimensity 9000)+) Support up to 5 different audio codecs for Bluetooth. Here's a full list with a brief description:

• 🔹 SBC — It's a basic codec, it works everywhere, but it's of mediocre quality.
• 🎵 AAC — Apple's popular codec, better SBC, But it depends on implementation (Android often works worse than iPhone).
• 🎧 aptX / aptX HD — Qualcomm's proprietary codec, good quality, low latency, requires support from headphones.
• 🎶 LDAC — Sony's Hi-Res Audio codec (up to 990 kbps) The best quality yet battery-hungry.
• 🔋 LC3 — new standard for Bluetooth LE Audio (not yet seen in Xiaomi, but will be relevant for future models).

It is important to understand that the codec should be supported by both a smartphone and headphones, for example, if your Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro can work with the device. LDAC, But the smartphone is not, you won't get Hi-Res Audio. Below is the codec compatibility table for popular Xiaomi models (2022-2026.):

Please note that even if the smartphone supports LDAC or aptX, these codecs can be disabled by default. To activate them, you need to go to Settings. → Connected devices → Bluetooth settings → Audio quality (the path may vary slightly depending on the version) MIUI).

SBC vs AAC: Which codec is best for everyday use?

If your Xiaomi smartphone does not support AptX or LDAC, The choice is reduced to two basic codecs: SBC and AAC. Let’s see which one is preferable in different scenarios.

🔹 SBC: simple but not perfect

SBC (Subband Coding is the minimum standard required for all Bluetooth devices:

• 🔋 Minimum power consumption (important for low-end models like the Redmi 12).
• 🔄 Stable operation even with a weak Bluetooth signal.
• 🤝 Compatible with all headphones and speakers.

But the sound quality is poor, with a maximum bitrate of 328 kbps, and in practice, often lower due to compression. SBC lose out.

🎵 AAC: better, but not always

AAC (Advanced Audio Coding should theoretically sound better SBC, It is supported by all Xiaomi smartphones and many headphones (including AirPods:

⚠️ Attention: On Android implementation AAC It is often worse than iOS, which means the same headphones (like Sony). WF-1000XM5) It sounds better with iPhone than with Xiaomi 14, even when used AAC.

If your headphones support both codecs, try comparing them in practice:

1. Connect the headphones to your smartphone.
2. Include a track with clear high frequencies (such as guitars or violins).
3. Switch the codec in Bluetooth settings and listen to the difference.

On Xiaomi’s budget models (e.g. Redmi Note 12) the difference between the two SBC and AAC It can be minimal, and on flagships (Xiaomi 14 Pro) it can be more noticeable. AAC — It's still less battery-hungry than LDAC.

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To quickly check the current codec on Xiaomi, open Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI and tap 5 times on "Kerole" in the engineering menu, select Hardware Testing. → Audio → Bluetooth Codec (the path may be different).

aptX and aptX HD: Best choice for quality and low latency

If your Xiaomi smartphone supports aptX, that’s most Snapdragon models. 8xx), It's one of the best options for balancing quality and energy:

• 🎧 Sound quality: aptX works on bitrate up to 352 kbps, and aptX HD — up to 576 kbps, that's close. CD-quality (1411 kbps), but taking into account the features of Bluetooth.
• ⚡ Low latency: aptX Low Latency reduces lag to 40 MS (against) ~100–200 sm SBC/AAC), What is critical for games and video.
• 🔋 Energy efficiency: Consumes less battery than LDAC, but gives comparable quality.

However, there are limitations:

⚠️ Note: aptX is a proprietary codec from Qualcomm. It only works on smartphones with Snapdragon chips (for example, Xiaomi 14, POCO F6 Pro and headphones with support for aptX. On models with Dimensity (for example, Redmi Note 13 Pro)+ 5G) This codec may not be available.

How to turn on aptX on Xiaomi:

Connect compatible headphones (for example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro or Sony) WH-1000XM5)

Open Settings → Connected devices

Tapping on the connected headphones → Audio quality

Choose aptX Adaptive or aptX HD (if available)

Restart the music playback-->

If you are playing mobile games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) or watch movies, aptX Low Latency is the best choice. HD Adaptive Adaptive (if supported).

LDAC: Hi-Res Audio for music lovers (but with a catch)

LDAC — This is a codec from Sony that allows you to transmit sound in Hi-Res Audio resolution (up to 990 kbps). On paper, it looks perfect for music lovers, but in practice there are nuances.

✅ Pluses LDAC:

• 🎼 Quality: Maximum bitrate 990 kbit/s 3 times higher than SBC). Maintains frequencies to 96 keto/24 bit.
• 🎛️ Bitrate setting: You can choose Quality (max. 990 kbit/s), Balanced (660 kbit/s) or Speed (330 kbit/s).
• 🎧 Compatibility: Supported by many top-end headphones (e.g. Sony) WH-1000XM5, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro).

❌ Cons LDAC:

• 🔋 Battery: At maximum bitrate LDAC It discharges your smartphone and headphones 20-30% faster than aptX or AAC.
• 📶 Stability: With a weak Bluetooth signal, there may be breaks in sound. On the subway or on the street, it is better to switch to aptX.
• 🎛️ Processor load: Coding LDAC requires more resources, which can affect performance in the background (relevant to budget models).

How to set up LDAC Xiaomi:

1. Connect your headphones with support LDAC (For example, Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro).
2. Go to Settings. → Connected devices → [Your headphones] → Audio quality.
3. Choose. LDAC and prioritize: Quality, Balanced or Speed.
4. For the test, play the track in high resolution (for example, with Tidal HiFi or Apple Music Lossless).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) LDAC It can be unstable because of software constraints. If you hear cracks or cliffs, switch to aptX. HD.

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LDAC It is only suitable for listening to music in high resolution (FLAC, ALAC, MQA). For podcasts, videos or games, it is redundant and only wastes battery.

LC3 Bluetooth LE Audio: The future of sound at Xiaomi

LC3 (Low Complexity Communications Codec is a new standard for Bluetooth LE Audio, which should replace the classic codecs:

• 🎧 Quality: At 160-345 kbps, the sound is comparable to aptX, but with better compression.
• ⚡ Low latency: Lag less than 20ms (ideal for gaming and video).
• 🔋 Energy efficiency: Consumes 50% less energy than SBC.
• 🎛️ Multithreading: Allows you to connect multiple pairs of headphones to a single source (e.g., share music with a friend).

However, as of 2026 LC3 It's almost never found on Xiaomi smartphones:

• 📱 Bluetooth 5.2 support is required+ LE Audio (i.e., Xiaomi 14, but not most headphones).
• 🎧 There are no mass headphones with LC3 (exception: some models from Sony and Qualcomm).
• 🔄 MIUI Not yet optimized for working with LE Audio.

If you plan to buy new headphones in 2026-2026, pay attention to models with support LC3 — It's an investment in the future, and for now, Xiaomi is aptX. LDAC.

What codec to choose for different scenarios on Xiaomi

There is no universal "best" codec, it depends on your tasks. Here are our recommendations for different situations:

If your Xiaomi smartphone supports multiple codecs, try each in real-world settings.

• 🎵 For music: compare LDAC aptX HD single-track.
• 🎮 For gaming: Check for delay in Fortnite or Honor of Kings with aptX LL and AAC.
• 📺 For video: watch a fragment of the film on YouTube with different codecs and appreciate the synchrony of the sound.

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To quickly switch between codecs on Xiaomi, add Bluetooth Audio Quality shortcut to the Quick Settings Panel. → press on the pencil → Find Bluetooth audio codec tile (not available on all firmware).

How to check current codec and bitrate on Xiaomi

If you want to know exactly what codec is currently being used and what bitrate it has, there are a few ways to do this:

📱 Method 1: Through settings MIUI

Most of the smartphones Xiaomi (C) MIUI 12 and newer) you can see the current codec like this:

1. Put your headphones on Bluetooth.
2. Open the settings → Connected devices.
3. Slap it on the connected headphones.
4. The audio quality item will show the active codec.

However, the bitrate is not displayed here.

📊 Method 2: Monitoring applications

For detailed information (including bitrate), use third-party applications:

• 📌 Bluetooth Audio Codec Checker (Shows codec and bitrate in real time).
• 📌 Developer Options (enable Bluetooth debugging and use it) ADB log-in).
• 📌 Nordic nRF Connect (for advanced users).

Example of output in Bluetooth Audio Codec Checker:

Device: Sony WH-1000XM5




Codec: LDAC




Bitrate: 660 kbit/s (Balanced)




Delay: ~100 ms

🔍 Method 3: Engineering menu (for advanced ones)

On some firmware MIUI You can turn on the codec in the status bar:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 taps according to the MIUI version in the phone settings).
2. Enable Bluetooth debugging in Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Install the Bluetooth Codec Changer app (requires root or ADB).

⚠️ Note: Change the codec settings through the engineering menu or ADB It could cause Bluetooth to crash. Do it at your own risk!

FAQ: Frequent questions about Bluetooth codecs on Xiaomi