How to change the Bluetooth codec on Xiaomi headphones

Owners of Xiaomi wireless acoustics often face a situation where the sound quality does not meet expectations, especially when listening to music with high bitrate. Standard settings of the Android operating system often limit data transfer to the basic compression algorithm, which significantly reduces the detail and depth of sound. The Bluetooth codec is a software algorithm that is responsible for encoding and decoding the audio signal when transmitting wirelessly between the smartphone and the headset.

Understanding how to force a device to switch to a better codec can change the way you experience music, but it’s not always obvious because smartphone makers often hide these options from the eyes of the average user. In this article, we’ll look at the technicalities, ways to activate hidden features, and limitations that are imposed by the hardware of your gadgets.

It's worth noting that the success of the operation depends on two factors: the support of the desired format by the smartphone itself and the ability of the headphones to process it. If any of the devices does not support the chosen standard, the system will automatically roll back to a simpler, but compatible option. Let's look at what formats are available and how to manage them.

Types of codecs and their impact on sound

Before we get to the settings, we need to understand the hierarchy of sound quality, and the basic standard for all devices is SBC, which provides acceptable quality, but when compressed strongly, high frequencies are lost and sound becomes flat, and this is the default format, unless otherwise specified.

A more advanced standard for the Apple ecosystem and many Android smartphones is AAC (Advanced Audio Coding), which provides better detail and compression efficiency than SBC. However, for owners of Xiaomi equipment, the most interesting formats are the aptX and LDAC family, developed by Qualcomm and Sony respectively.

LDAC technology allows you to transmit three times more data (up to 990 kbit / s) compared to standard Bluetooth, which brings wireless sound closer to the quality of Hi-Res Audio. In turn, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive offer a stable connection with minimal latency, which is critical not only for music, but also for gaming or watching video.

⚠️ Switching to high-bitrate codecs, such as LDAC, can lead to an increase in the power consumption of the smartphone and the headphones themselves, which will reduce their battery life.

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For maximum sound quality, use headphones with support for LDAC and Xiaomi smartphones based on Snapdragon processors, which have native support for this codec.

The differences between formats are not only bitrate, but also connection stability. The higher the quality, the more sensitive the signal is to interference. In crowded esters (metros, offices), complex codecs can cause interruptions if the signal weakens.

Verification of device compatibility

The first step before any manipulation should be to check the specifications of your smartphone. Not all Xiaomi models support the full range of audio codecs, even if they are equipped with quality DACs. Often restrictions are imposed by the version of the Bluetooth module or the manufacturer's licensing policy.

You can find out the current active codec through the standard developer menu or using third-party utilities. The most reliable way is using specialized applications from Google Play, such as Bluetooth Codec Changer or Material Bluetooth Codec. These programs read information directly from the Android Bluetooth stack.

Also worth considering is the version of the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. In new updates, Xiaomi sometimes changes the connection priorities, automatically selecting a codec based on the signal reception conditions, ignoring the user's previous settings.

If your device doesn’t support the desired format at the hardware level, the software won’t help, in which case the system will ignore forced switching attempts or immediately return to the SBC after the connection breaks.

Activate the developer menu on Xiaomi

To access the advanced Bluetooth settings, you need to activate the hidden “Developers” section. In the MIUI and HyperOS shells, this process is standard, but requires care so as not to change unnecessary parameters.

First, go to Settings and select About Phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) string and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row. After a series of taps, a pop-up notification will appear that you have become a developer.

Then go back to the main settings menu, select Additional, and find Developer's, and that's where the key switches that affect wireless interfaces and audio protocols are hidden.

Inside the developer menu, scroll down to Network or Bluetooth. There you will find the Bluetooth Audio Codec option. Clicking on it, you will see a list of available codecs. If the desired format (such as LDAC) is displayed in gray or missing, then the current connection or hardware does not support it.

Use of Engineering Menu and ADB

In cases where the standard developer menu does not give the desired result or the desired options are blocked by the manufacturer, you can use deeper customization methods, one of which is to enter commands via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) from your computer.

This requires you to enable USB debugging in the developer menu and connect your smartphone to your PC. Once you install the drivers and the ADB utility, you can send commands to change the global Bluetooth settings. For example, a command to force LDAC to turn on may look like a change to the system variable.

adb shell settings put global bluetooth_codec_selected 5

The value of the digit at the end of the command corresponds to a specific codec in the system (the numbers can vary depending on the version of Android: 2 - SBC, 3 - AAC, 4 - aptX, 5 - LDAC, etc.) This method requires caution, since incorrect input can lead to unstable operation of the communication module.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands and engineering menus carry the risk of system failure.

There are also root-free applications that use the Android API to request codec changes, which act as an intermediary between the user and system settings, making the process more secure and understandable for beginners.

Settings inside player apps

Remember that the sound source is also the player app. Some advanced players, such as USB Audio Player PRO or PowerAmp, have their own audio output settings and can override system preferences.

In the settings of such applications, there is often a “Bluetooth” or “Audio Drive” option where you can choose the priority coding method, which is especially true for streaming services, which by default compress the sound before sending it to the Bluetooth stack.

For example, in PowerAmp settings, check the Audi → Exit section. Make sure that the Direct Output option is enabled, which allows the player to bypass the system mixers and transmit the stream unchanged to the headphone decoder.

Also, it is worth considering that some services (Spotify, Yandex.Music) have restrictions on the sound quality in free versions or when streaming over a mobile network, in such cases, changing the codec at the system level will not add new details that are not in the original file.

Table of comparison of codec characteristics

For clarity, we present a comparative table of the main parameters so that you can choose the optimal balance between quality and stability for your use conditions.

From the table, it can be seen that LDAC offers the highest technical specifications, but requires ideal reception conditions. aptX HD is the middle ground for most Android users, providing excellent sound without excessive load on the channel.

Note the sampling rate. If your headphones only support 44.1 kHz, then transferring a 96 kHz file makes no sense, as it will be re-employed down, consuming the excess battery.

Frequent problems and their solution

Users often experience a situation where, after reconnecting the headphones, the settings are reset. This is normal behavior of Android, which tries to renegotiate the connection settings with each new link.

If the sound becomes intermittent after turning on the high codec, try to reduce the distance between the phone and the headphones or remove the sources of interference. Also helps to clean the Bluetooth cache in the application menu: find in the list of Bluetooth system applications and click “Clear Cache”.

In some cases, complete pairing reset helps: remove the device from the list, turn off Bluetooth, restart the phone, turn on Bluetooth and pair again, and the first time you connect, the system will re-question the headphones about their capabilities.

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Connection stability is more important than maximum bitrate. If LDAC is unstable, it is better to switch to aptX or AAC for comfortable listening without breakage.

Don’t forget to update the firmware of the headphones themselves through a proprietary app (such as Xiaomi Earbuds or Mi Wear). Manufacturers often release updates that improve compatibility with various smartphones and the stability of codecs.

The Impact of Android Version and MIUI

With the release of Android 13 and 14, as well as new versions of HyperOS, Google and Xiaomi are implementing changes to the Bluetooth stack, including support for the LC3 (Low Complexity Communication Codec), which is part of the Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

This codec promises high audio quality with significantly lower power consumption and bitrate, but it requires support from both a smartphone and headphones, and there are few LC3-enabled devices on the market right now.

Owners of older versions of MIUI (based on Android 10 and below) may not be able to choose the codecs in the developer menu, in which case the only way out is to use third-party applications or update the device’s firmware to the current version.

⚠️ Note: Installation of third-party firmware (Custom) ROM) For the sake of obtaining new codecs, it can lead to loss of warranty and unstable operation of Xiaomi communication modules.

Keep an eye out for system updates. Often support for new audio formats is added with security patches and major OS updates, expanding the functionality of the existing hardware.

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