Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are equipped with advanced audio technology, but by default they often work in basic mode to save energy. Many owners of flagship and mid-budget models do not even suspect that their device is able to transmit sound in HD Audio or even in Hi-Res Audio format. This becomes especially true when using high-quality wireless headphones, where the difference between conventional SBC and advanced codecs like LDAC or aptX HD is huge.
Activating a high-quality audio tract requires not only smartphone support, but also accessory compatibility. In this article, we’ll look at all the nuances of customization, from hidden engineering menus to the developer’s fine-tuning, and learn how to make your gadget work to the limit of its capabilities, providing crystal clear sound without compression artifacts.
It’s worth noting that the path to perfect sound can vary depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. Some options may be hidden, others require connection to specific hardware.
What is HD Audio and why to turn it on your smartphone
Technology HD Audio (High Definition Audio) is a standard for sound transmission that exceeds the quality of conventional audio. CD. In the context of mobile devices, this means that the processor and Bluetooth module can process and transmit audio streams at high sampling rates and bitrates. If ordinary sound is compressed strongly, losing detail, then it's a very small amount of audio. HD-formats retain nuances that are critical for audiophiles.
Xiaomi smartphones offer support for different codecs, each with its own advantages. For example, Sony’s LDAC codec can transmit three times more data than standard Bluetooth audio, while aptX Adaptive dynamically changes bitrates depending on the signal reception conditions, ensuring connection stability without loss of quality where possible.
The system can prioritize energy saving by choosing a lesser, but more economical codec, and the user needs to manually prioritize sound quality to activate the full potential of the hardware of the device.
⚠️ Note: High-resolution codecs such as LDAC in the mode of priority quality, can significantly increase the battery consumption of the smartphone and headphones.
It is also important to distinguish between software interpolation and real hardware decoding. Having the Hi-Res Audio Wireless logo on the smartphone box ensures that the device is certified to work with high bitrates over the air. Without this certification, the claimed quality can only be a marketing ploy based on software-based sound improvement.
Checking the compatibility of equipment and codecs
Before you go into the settings, you need to make sure that your hardware is physically capable of supporting HD Audio. The audio chain consists of a source (smartphone) and a receiver (earphones or speakers). If at least one link does not support the desired codec, the connection will be installed on the highest common standard possible for both devices, usually AAC or SBC.
To check supported codecs on Xiaomi, you can use hidden menus or analyzer applications. However, the most reliable way is to speculate on your headphone model and compare them with the specifications of the smartphone. The flagship models of the Xiaomi 13, Xiaomi 14 and Mi 11 series usually support a full range of codecs, including LDAC and LHDC.
Below is a table to help you determine which codec is best to choose depending on your devices:
| Codec | Max. bitrate. | Compatibility | Quality. |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC | 328 kbps | All devices. | Basic |
| AAC | 256 kbps | Apple, Android | Good. |
| aptX HD | 576 kbps | Qualcomm chips | High. |
| LDAC | 990 kbps | Android 8.0+ | Hi-Res |
Bluetooth is also worth considering. For stable HD Audio, Bluetooth 5.0 and higher are desirable. Older versions may not be able to pull the high-density data stream, leading to permanent connection breaks or automatic switching to low quality.
Activate HD Audio through the Developer Menu
The main way to force high-quality codecs on Xiaomi is in the developer menu, which is hidden from the eyes of the average user by default to prevent accidental changes in critical system settings.
Go to Settings → About Phone and find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) bar. Click on it quickly 7-10 times in a row until you notice that you have become a developer. Then a new option will appear in the settings menu Additional Settings → Advanced Settings → Developer.
☑️ Activation of the Developer Menu
Inside the developer menu, scroll down to the Audio or Bluetooth section. Here you're interested in codec-related items. If your device and connected headphones support HD Audio, you'll see options like "Bluetooth Audio Codec" or "LDAC Quality."
Choose the codec from the list. If you want the best quality, choose LDAC or aptX HD. However, remember that choosing a particular codec does not guarantee its operation if the receiver does not support it, in which case the sound will simply not go or switch to standard.
⚠️ Warning: Changing the codec settings in the developer menu can cause a temporary break in the Bluetooth connection.
Customization of sound and equalizer in MIUI and HyperOS
In addition to choosing a codec, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer their own tools to improve the sound profile. In the Settings → Sound and Vibration → Sound Quality and Effects section, you can find many useful options. Here, it is important not just to include effects, but to adjust them correctly to your type of headphones.
Mi Sound Enhancer allows you to calibrate the sound to a specific headphone model. If your model is not on the list, you can choose the type of headphones (intrachannel, full-size) and manually adjust it, which helps compensate for the frequency dips characteristic of budget acoustics.
Equalizer settings are also worth paying attention to. HD Audio is best suited to No Effects or Flat mode, as any artificial bass or high frequency amplifications can distort the pure high resolution signal. If you use third-party players, make sure they have access to the system audio output without additional processing.
The Secrets of Mi Sound Enhancer
Dolby Atmos is a feature that deserves special attention if it is available on your model. Enabling this mode can override the settings of the codec, so it is better to temporarily turn off the Dolby Atmos for listening to Lossless music in its native capacity.
Using third-party applications for sound management
Android is sometimes not enough to control audio, and enthusiasts often use specialized applications to manage Bluetooth parameters in greater detail, and one of the most popular tools is the Bluetooth Codec Changer, although it depends on the specific processor model.
Another powerful tool is the Lesser AudioSwitch app, which allows you to force audio output between the speaker, wired headphones and Bluetooth devices, as well as change USB-DAC priorities. This is especially useful if you connect an external DAC to a Xiaomi smartphone via USB-C.
When using third-party software, it is important to monitor permissions. Sound applications require access to Bluetooth system settings. Without this, they will not be able to change the connection settings. Be careful with applications that require root access, as inept interference with system audio files can lead to the complete disappearance of sound.
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If after installing a new codec, the sound is completely lost, restart the smartphone with the connected headphones - this often helps the system to re-determine handshake settings.
There are also players, such as USB Audio Player PRO or Hiby Music, which have their own drivers and bypass the standard Android mixer.This allows you to transmit a bit-perfect signal directly to the DAC, bypassing system restrictions and resampling.
Problems and solutions for HD Audio
Despite all the advantages, using HD Audio on Xiaomi can be accompanied by a number of technical problems, the most common of them is an unstable connection. High bitrate requires a wide data channel, and any interference in the air (Wi-Fi routers, microwaves, other Bluetooth devices) can cause interruptions.
If you see a jerk or a stutter, try to lower the codec quality in the developer settings. For example, LDAC has three modes: quality priority, balance, and connection priority. Switching to Connection Priority often solves the problem of interruptions in crowded places.
- 🎧 Make sure the headphones are close enough to the smartphone and there are no physical barriers between them.
- 📶 Turn off 2.4GHz Wi-Fi if it is in use, as Bluetooth is in the same range and can cause interference.
- 🔄 Reconnect the device: remove the headphones from the list of conjugated and create a pair again.
Another problem may be desynchronization of audio and video, which takes longer to buffer with high bitrate, as you can see when watching videos on social networks or YouTube, in which case the system itself can switch to a codec with less latency, but if it does not, you will have to choose between sound quality and synchronization of the picture.
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The stability of HD Audio connection depends on the distance to the Wi-Fi router and the number of active wireless devices within a radius of 5 meters.
In some cases, after the firmware update, the sound settings may reset.Check the developer menu after each major HyperOS update to make sure the desired codec is still selected active.