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Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

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Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#211

Post by RulerOf »

viraptor wrote: post #87
Osiris wrote: post #75

This is really a Bluetooth issue. The same happens with any headphones that have a mic on any OS. When Bluetooth mode is switched from Headphones to Headset (with mic), only much lower quality audio codes are used. Does anyone know if Bluetooth 6 adds support for higher quality codes for Headset? It's a big issue, in my opinion.

It was a Bluetooth issue years ago. Now it's only an Apple issue where it can't use a more decent codec. On Linux you can choose the mSBC codec and get decent two-way quality on a modern headset.

> Now it's only an Apple issue where it can't use a more decent codec.

Isn't this a Mac-specific issue? I have some recollection in my head that Mac OS uses a terrible codec for bidirectional bluetooth audio, but iOS uses a good one.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#212

Post by s3p »

- Menu bar only app, no option to disable and make dock icon app only - Subscription only app, forced to buy the subscription instead of offering no-credit card trial

I really do want to support devs and I appreciate another tool that someone created to solve a known issue so real kudos for that.. I just don't like the common bandwagon trends this one is jumping on.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#213

Post by talldayo »

ovao wrote: post #187
talldayo wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple sold their own toilet, you can damn well be certain you'd pay a per-shit fee as their customer. This is exactly what you get supporting a platform that relies on monetizing it's users.

Weird comment. I have three or four Apple devices at the moment and I don’t pay Apple a subscription fee for anything, let alone pay-per-use fees.

It would be less weird if there was any feasible strategy for releasing an app that Apple doesn't take a cut from. Unless you pay for 0 apps, you are supporting Apple with recurring service revenue.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#214

Post by e40 »

salzig wrote: post #205

This is more or less only (sadly) a problem with apple headphones. You can switch the current microphone on Mac by ALT-Clicking the audio menubar icon. Normally MacOS will remember and follow your decision, except when you have apple headphones. For some stupid reason MacOS forces the headphone microphone on those.

Not true. I have a HyperX moc and it’s always the default, no matter what app I use. I have several Apple headphones, works that way with all of them. macOS 14.7 now, it’s always been this way.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#216

Post by solardev »

DidYaWipe wrote: post #191
Osiris wrote: post #75

This is really a Bluetooth issue. The same happens with any headphones that have a mic on any OS. When Bluetooth mode is switched from Headphones to Headset (with mic), only much lower quality audio codes are used. Does anyone know if Bluetooth 6 adds support for higher quality codes for Headset? It's a big issue, in my opinion.

Sounds more like a shitty-software issue. The Shazam function should turn the Bluetooth mics off after the song is identified. Why does it just leave them on? Isn't that obvious, or is there some aspect to this I'm not aware of (I care about sound quality, so I don't use AirPods)?

It's not just Shazam but any app that uses the mic over Bluetooth. Like if you wanted to have background music playing during a Zoom call, or wanted to wear Bluetooth headphones while gaming and voice chat kicks in when you group up, etc.

It's a very annoying problem because the Airpods actually sound fantastic, but as soon as the mic kicks in, it sounds like crap. Same thing happens with my Sony XM3s or any other Bluetooth headset. The protocol drops to a shitty bitrate to support full duplex.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#217

Post by jillesvangurp »

A good trick to prevent this is to set your microphone to an aggregate device that you create with the Audio Midi Device tool that comes with your mac.

Open that, and create a new aggregate device with just the system microphone. Then set that as the default microphone. And now when applications access the microphone for whatever reason, your bluetooth headphones don't switch profile and keep on using the aggregate microphone device.

It's one of those obscure hacks that should just be default behavior. Why would I want to switch to a low quality audio codec when I have a perfectly good microphone in the laptop? Answer: I don't want to. Never. Loads of people use expensive headsets and they all sound terrible when they take their calls. It's not necessary.

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#218

Post by jbverschoor »

sutra_on wrote: post #204

> I decided to go with a very cheap subscription model because I suspect further development might be needed as bugs emerge or API behavior changes Right, makes me wonder how did companies even exist before the subscription model. > I don't know what would the right price be for supporting an app for years to come and still have people willing to pay for it Not to sound too negative, but your app might not even exist…

Charge 80 bucks for small tools, or 800-6000 for other tools. And don’t forget to pay for upgrades

Re: Show HN: A macOS app to prevent sound quality degradation on AirPods

#220

Post by hsbauauvhabzb »

sutra_on wrote: post #204

> I decided to go with a very cheap subscription model because I suspect further development might be needed as bugs emerge or API behavior changes Right, makes me wonder how did companies even exist before the subscription model. > I don't know what would the right price be for supporting an app for years to come and still have people willing to pay for it Not to sound too negative, but your app might not even exist…

This just in: people do things to maximise profit.
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