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

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Oct 01, 2024, 9:17 PM UTC

tecleandor wrote: post #340

adastra22 wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can very clearly hear the bandwidth difference if you connect to a Zoom call using your Bluetooth headset both for listening and as a microphone, and then switching the microphone to the one in your laptop while someone is talking. I guess that any other software will work, but it's the one I use in the office. Maybe this isn’t a problem if you are within the Apple ecosystem, or maybe Apple has solved this prob…

I was talking about my combination of hardware, but I can do that with the integrated microphone in my MacBook and I'll hear the difference too. I can't comment much on Apple Bluetooth devices as Apple hides any codec information: they don't say which codecs and profiles are supported on their devices, and they've removed connection information in their OS, so I have no idea. But from what I've seen online, it's been…

Post by Nullabillity » Tue, Oct 01, 2024, 11:14 PM UTC

tecleandor wrote: post #334

Nullabillity wrote: post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've heard that some people use headsets that aren't bluetooth, like the Jabra or Plantronics that are made for call centers, where you connect the headset base directly to the laptop. They seem to have also an incredible connection range, but they are very pricey so I haven't bought one for testing. Just get a cheap gaming headset. Pretty much all wireless gaming headsets also have perfectly fine quality for two-w…

All wireless gaming headsets that I've seen are Bluetooth. What I've seen from some of them (or even some headsets that aren't "gaming") is "Gaming Mode", that usually means that they either use a low latency codec like aptX Low Latency, or reduce the buffers in the connection or something like that. That's also useful to reduce latency when watching videos or TV. But once you switch to headset mode, you're back to t…

Post by ivanjermakov » Wed, Oct 02, 2024, 2:05 AM UTC

presentation wrote: post #311

ivanjermakov wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why is Bluetooth so bad? From what I read online, Bluetooth standart is bloated with outdated profiles and not free for manufacturers to implement. Because of that, manufacturers strap own proprietary extensions on it that only their devices support (e.g. AirPods audio qulity with mic is only good on Apple devices)[1]. Others mention that bluetooth was initially designed for less capble devices, thus suffering from…

Given how much Apple and other manufacturers depend on Bluetooth for their wireless earphones I wonder why no alternative to Bluetooth ever seems to show up.

Post by prmoustache » Wed, Oct 02, 2024, 7:13 AM UTC

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.

Post by prmoustache » Wed, Oct 02, 2024, 7:22 AM UTC

adastra22 wrote: post #271

alfonsodev wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends if you sit for a long meeting or short but important, I’d definitively change the mic to use MacBook it’s not only your quality of mic for them, you’ll hear them much better too. Now if you want to be walking around while talking then obviously keep the default mic on the AirPods.

I'm stupefied by this comment thread. I routinely have meetings where my microphone quality (built-in MacBook Pro or iPhone 14 in speaker mode) is absolute shit and the person on the other side tells me to put on my AirPods, at which point my audio becomes crystal clear for them.