The depth of audio encoding via Bluetooth in Xiaomi: which codec to choose for the best quality?

Have you ever noticed that the music in Xiaomi wireless headphones sounds crystal clear and becomes flat and devoid of detail? It's not always the headphones themselves that are the problem, but the depth of the audio encoding when transmitted over Bluetooth is often the problem. This parameter determines how much audio data is transmitted per second and how accurately the original signal is reproduced. But how to understand the intricacies of SBC, AAC, aptX and LDAC codecs, even if they are often hidden or called incomprehensible abbreviations in the Miui settings?

Today, we’re not just going to list the codecs available, but we’re going to show you how to choose the optimal coding depth for your Xiaomi model (whether it’s a Redmi Note 12 smartphone or Xiaomi’s flagship 14 Ultra), which headphones support certain standards, and why sometimes the “most advanced” codec gives worse results than the “outdated” codec, and we’re going to reveal the secret of manually enabling hidden Bluetooth codec settings on MIUI 14/15 firmware without root rights.

Spoiler: If you're listening to music through the Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro with LDAC codec on top of your max, but you hear a crackle, the problem isn't with the headphones, it's with the wrong bitrate setting on the smartphone. And that's easy to fix.

What is sound encoding depth and why is it important for Bluetooth

The depth of encoding (or bitrate) is the number of bits of information transmitted per second during wireless audio transmission, measured in kbit/s (kilobits per second) and directly affects:

• 🎵 Sound quality: the higher the bitrate, the more accurately high and low frequencies are transmitted, the more "volume" the music sounds.
• 🔋 Battery consumption: codec LDAC 990 kbit / s eats the charge of headphones 2-3 times faster than SBC 328 kbps.
• 📶 Connection stability: in jamming conditions (metro, crowded places), high bitrate can cause sound breaks.

But there's a catch: not all codex are equally useful. For example, AAC theoretically supports bitrates of up to 320 kbps, but in practice in Xiaomi devices it often runs at 256 kbps due to firmware limitations. And aptX Adaptive automatically adjusts to network conditions, but not all Xiaomi headphones support it.

Key point: the depth of encoding depends not only on the smartphone, but also on the headphones. If your Redmi Buds 3 Lite supports only SBC, then no manipulation of the MIUI settings will make them work with LDAC.

What Bluetooth code supports Xiaomi smartphones (compatibility table)

Xiaomi smartphones on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips (such as Xiaomi 13T or POCO F5) usually support the full range of codecs, whereas models on MediaTek (say, Redmi Note 12) are often devoid of aptX and LDAC. Below is the current compatibility table for devices 2022-2026:

⚠️ Attention: Even if your smartphone supports LDAC, This doesn't mean that the codec will work out of the box. MIUI By default, often activated AAC or SBC, a. LDAC manual adjustment is required (about this in the next section).

Another nuance: the LC3 codec (for Bluetooth LE Audio) is still supported only in new models of headphones (for example, Xiaomi Buds 5), but its bitrate is limited to 320 kbit / s.

How to check current Bluetooth codec on Xiaomi (step-by-step instructions)

To find out what codec is used when connecting headphones, follow the following steps:

1. Connect the headphones to your smartphone.
2. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Bluetooth.
3. Press the badge. ⚙️ near the name of your headphones.
4. Scroll down to the Additional Settings section (or Sound Quality in newer versions of MIUI).
5. Here you will see the current codec (e.g. AAC or SBC).

If there's no partition with the codec, then your firmware is hiding it.

For advanced users: You can manually set a priority codec through ADB. For example, to force LDAC to be enabled, do:

adb shell settings put global bluetooth_a2dp_offload_codec_priority ldac,aac,sbc,aptx,aptxhd

⚠️ Note: not all headphones work correctly with the forced on LDAC. If there is any interference after the change, return to AAC or.

Which codec to choose for different use cases

There is no universal “best” codec – the choice depends on the task:

• 🎧 Music (high quality): LDAC (990 kbit/s – for listening FLAC or WAV in a quiet environment. aptX HD (576 kbps – balance of quality and stability.
• 🎮 Games (minimum delays): aptX Low Latency ~40ms (ideal for shooters). LC3 (Bluetooth LE Audio - delay ~20ms, but only works with new headphones.
• 🏃 Sport/street (connection stability): AAC (256 kbit / s) - resistant to interference, economically consumes battery. SBC — The most compatible but with mediocre sound.
• 🎤 Calls (priority to voice): mSBC or CVSD — Optimized for speech transmission (used automatically when calling).

Critical information: If your Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro headphones suddenly start wheezing at high frequencies when using LDAC, lower the bitrate to 660 kbps in the codec settings. This eliminates artifacts without serious loss of quality.

For owners of Redmi Buds 5: these headphones support LC3, but only when connected to smartphones with Android 13+ and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2+ chipset. On older devices, they will work over AAC.

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If you listen to music through Spotify or YouTube Music, the AAC codec often gives a better result than LDAC, because streaming services compress audio to 256-320 kbit / s.

Why LDAC isn't always better: The pitfalls of high bitrate

On paper, LDAC seems like the perfect choice: a bitrate of up to 990 kbps, support for Hi-Res Audio, but in practice it has a number of drawbacks:

• ⚡ Increased battery consumption: headphones will be discharged in 3-4 hours instead of 6-8.
• 📉 Unstable connection: in the subway or on the street may break the sound.
• 🔊 Artifacts at high frequencies: 990 kbps bitrate can cause “digital” distortions.
• 📱 Overheating of the smartphone: the Bluetooth chip works at the limit, which leads to heating of the case.

Recommendation: For most users, 660 kbps LDAC or aptX Adaptive is optimal. The latter automatically adjusts the bitrate to network conditions, which eliminates problems with cliffs.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi with a MediaTek chipset (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro), then LDAC It can be unstable due to hardware constraints, and it's best to stay at it. AAC.

Customization of the coding depth in headphones Xiaomi (on the example of Buds 4 Pro and FlipBuds Pro)

Xiaomi headphones also have hidden settings that affect sound quality. For example, in Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro, you can select a priority codec through the Mi Earphones app:

1. Open the Mi Earphones app (download from AppGallery if it isn't).
2. Connect the headphones and go to the Sound Settings → Sound Quality.
3. Choose one of the modes: Balanced - Automatic Codec Selection (AAC/aptX); High quality - forced use of LDAC (990 kbit / s); Low latency - aptX Low Latency for games.

Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro algorithm is similar, but there is an additional option ANC-calibration that may conflict with LDAC. If the sound begins to “break” when the noise cancellation is turned on, switch to AAC.

⚠️ Warning: Once the headphone firmware is updated, the codec settings may be reset. Always check them after the update!

Bluetooth codec comparison: what’s best for Xiaomi in 2026

To make the choice easier, we have brought the key characteristics of codecs into a comparative table, taking into account the specifics of Xiaomi devices:

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For most users, Xiaomi is optimal aptX Adaptive (if supported) or AAC at 256 kbit / s. LDAC should be used only with headphones of the top segment (Buds 4 Pro, FlipBuds Pro) and in stable signal conditions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Bluetooth depth coding in Xiaomi