Qualcomm introduced aptX Lossless to the world, which it claims can deliver lossless CD-quality audio over Bluetooth. Qualcomm pulled off an unprecedented achievement that can be a boon for many audiophiles. The service is set to become a new feature of the Snapdragon Sound platform that the company released earlier this year.
The audio industry has changed drastically over the past years. Earlier, if you wanted to listen to Lossless CD-quality music, you had only one option – Tidal. However, companies like Apple now offer higher-quality streaming, and Spotify promises to launch Spotify HiFi, which offers lossless audio.
aptX Lossless And CD-Quality: Audio Over Bluetooth
Qualcomm has optimized various wireless connectivity and audio technologies within aptX Adaptive to achieve lossless audio quality over Bluetooth. Moreover, aptX Adaptive is the company’s highest-quality Bluetooth audio codec, which it claims can transmit hi-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. Hence, it’s safe to assume that aptX Lossless is an extension of aptX Adaptive.
The telecommunications giant claims that aptX Lossless can produce “mathematically bit-for-bit exact” audio transmission at CD quality, provided the source and the listening device support the codec. Further, aptX Lossless can stream CD quality, 16-bit/44.1kHz lossless audio wirelessly as per claims.
The first-ever devices to ship with aptX audio are expected to be rolled out in late-2021. Notably, users’ smartphones and headphones, both will need to support the codec. You might want to get a new pair of headphones when the codec comes out, and probably a phone too.
Qualcomm further claims that aptX Lossless can potentially reach 1Mbps of bandwidth, which is higher than the current-best competitor. Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless has outdone Sony’s LDAC, which has a maximum bandwidth of 990Kbps. Although actual CD-quality audio has a sample bit rate of 1.4Mbps, some compression is still being applied, but it seems the company took care of that.
Wireless technology has come a long way, and it’s on the way to be able to play hi-res 24-bit/96kHz tracks. With a planned rollout in “late 2021,” Qualcomm can easily sustain an edge over its competitors in the market.
