Enable High Quality mode on your headphones (Updated for macOS Catalina)

change-codec.md

If you're using a high-end bluetooth headset on your Macbook Pro it's likely your mac is using an audio codec which favors battery efficiency over high quality. This results in a drastic degradation of sound, the SBC codec is the likely culprit, read more about it here.

Find out what codec you're using

1. Play a song on your headphones
2. Option (⌥) click the Bluetooth button at the top of your screen
3. If you're using AAC or aptX, you can stop here—those are the highest quality codecs.

Change your codec to AAC or aptX

UPDATE: It looks like Apple has silently dropped support for aptX, leaving only AAC

You'll need to download Apple's Bluetooth Explorer in order to change codecs.

1. Head over to Apple's Developer Downloads

2. Search for additional tools and download Additional Tools for XCode 11.dmg

3. Open the dmg, and open Bluetooth Explorer

4. Click on Tools > Audio Options and change your audio codec to the following settings:

   • Enable AAC
   • Force use of aptX
   

5. Disconnect your Bluetooth headset, reconnect it, and while some music is playing, inspect your codec. It should now show either AAC or aptX.

   

Squeezing the most out of AAC

You can increase the AAC bitrate in Audio Options but be sure to keep an eye on the graphs. The retransmission percentage is roughly equivalent to packet loss, and if you increase the bitrate too high your audio will start cutting out:

The retransmission rate is a function of distance and interference, and you'll need to disconnect/reconnect on each attempt before you find the sweet spot.

I'm on Sonoma 14.5. Is there a new domain now?

➜  ~ sudo defaults read bluetoothaudiod
2024-09-04 09:03:23.653 defaults[76291:151876843]
Domain bluetoothaudiod does not exist
➜  ~ sudo defaults domains
.GlobalPreferences_m, AppSSODaemon, applessdstatistics, com.apple.ASPCarryLog, com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse, com.apple.AppleMultitouchTrackpad, com.apple.BTServer, com.apple.CloudKit, com.apple.CoreBluetooth.cloud, com.apple.CoreBrightness, com.apple.CoreGraphics, com.apple.CrashReporter, com.apple.CrashReporterSupportHelper, com.apple.GEO, com.apple.MobileAsset, com.apple.MobileSoftwareUpdate, com.apple.UserAccountUpdater, com.apple.WirelessRadioManager.debug, com.apple.airplay, com.apple.airport.airportd, com.apple.awdd.persistent, com.apple.bg.system.task, com.apple.cloudd, com.apple.cmio.registerassistantservice, com.apple.contextstored, com.apple.coreaudio.careporting, com.apple.coreaudio.careporting.audioreg, com.apple.corecaptured, com.apple.coreduetd, com.apple.das.fairscheduling, com.apple.dasd.datacollectiontasks, com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse, com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad, com.apple.driver.AppleHIDMouse, com.apple.dt.Xcode, com.apple.dt.xcodebuild, com.apple.duetactivityscheduler, com.apple.duetactivityscheduler.policydatacollection, com.apple.duetactivityscheduler.trial, com.apple.findmy.findmybeaconingd, com.apple.gamepolicyd, com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced, com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced.notbackedup, com.apple.icloud.searchpartyd, com.apple.idleassetsd, com.apple.installandsetup.systemmigrationd, com.apple.mediaremote, com.apple.mediaremoted, com.apple.osanalytics.internal, com.apple.osanalyticshelper, com.apple.powerd.bdc, com.apple.powerd.coresmartpowernap.state, com.apple.powerui.notification, com.apple.security.ctkd-db, com.apple.siri.sirisuggestions, com.apple.smartcharging.topoffprotection, com.apple.symptomsd-diag, com.apple.systempreferences, com.apple.systemstats.microstackshot, com.apple.tailspin, com.apple.universalaccess, com.apple.wifi.WiFiAgent, com.apple.xpc.activity2, memoryanalyticsd, sharedfilelistd, systemmigrationd

fwiw I was able to get some byte rate improvement on my Sony WF-1000XM4 following these instructions by switching the Bluetooth Connection Quality setting on my Android Headphone app from from "Prioritize Stable Connection" to "Prioritize Sound Quality". Fingers crossed that it's good enough to improve the microphone quality in video meetings. I'm getting complaints and these are supposed to be "high-end" headsets.

# BEFORE
A2DP configured at 44.1 KHz. Codec: AAC-LC, VBR max: 192 kbps. 1 frames * (12+558) bytes = 570 per RTP (max=656) every 23.22 ms
# AFTER
A2DP configured at 44.1 KHz. Codec: AAC-LC, VBR max: 256 kbps. 1 frames * (12+744) bytes = 756 per RTP (max=879) every 23.22 ms

Confirming that @eEQK's method works for me on Android (Galaxy S21, Android 12, Sony Headphones Connect v9.0.1) and WH-1000XM3 (XM3 that go over the ears).

Steps:

1. Connect the headphones to MacBook
2. Follow this comment and verify that the codec is SBC
3. Disconnect XM3 from MacBook
4. Connect XM3 to Android
5. Open the Sony Headphones Connect app
6. Navigate to "Sound" and scroll down until you see "Sound Quality Mode"
7. Update the "Sound Quality Mode" setting to "Priority on Sound Quality"
8. Let the headphones reconnect to Android
9. Disconnect from Android
10. Connect to MacBook
11. Follow this comment and verify that the codec is AAC-LC

well the link doesn't work because there are too many pages 😭 😂
this seems to be the only option currently available on Sonoma 14.5, is to use the Sony Headphones Connect app on your phone to control that quality setting.