- The ultimate guide to Bluetooth headphones: Wired is still king for quality
- How we tested
- What we found
- Audio frequency response over Bluetooth
- 4 Answers 4
- Xiaomi Headphones Frequency Response
- If you are looking for all the scores of the earphones that we have reviewed check our:
- In Ear Headphones Scores Comparison Page.
- Xiaomi Headphones Frequency Response Measurements
- Trending
The ultimate guide to Bluetooth headphones: Wired is still king for quality
Look, we get it: Bluetooth headphones are convenient. It’s the K-cup coffee machine of audio. Like the aforementioned liquid sadness brewer, Bluetooth is a crappy, expensive facsimile of the real deal—but many, many people enjoy it because it’s convenient and they don’t need gourmet coffee every day.
I’ve never enjoyed the audio quality of Bluetooth headphones, but that’s just me. The sound is better than it ever has been, and it’ll get you 99% of the way there—but not everybody is willing to make that tradeoff. Since USB-C headphones have largely ceded their market advantages over Bluetooth, we have to examine the consumer audio technology’s performance in a world where the headphone jack is disappearing.
We deal in facts around these parts. That’s why we’ve spent the better part of last month testing codecs and their performance ceilings. Spoiler alert: it’s mostly bad news.
Editor’s note, this article was updated on January 13, 2020 to address the announcement of LE audio and the LC3 codec.
How we tested
We use a commercially-available Bluetooth high-def interface with an S/PDIF output to test the Bluetooth output of four flagship phones. This way, we’re able to record test signal output and compare the datasets with our in-house analysis software. We kicked the tires on a 96kHz/24-bit test file to see how Bluetooth handled high-bitrate music, as well as normal 44.1kHz/16-bit files to see how each codec treated CD-quality streaming audio. We then measured the recorded sample against the original file. We used both lograrithmic sine sweeps, and complex signals like square waves in order to provide a more realistic set of tests for how people actually use Bluetooth headphones.
We then fed the data through our charting programs, and plotted responses to identify issues. We also reached out to select companies for comment on these issues, but received no comment.
What we found
Every single Bluetooth codec has significant quality issues—despite many creative solutions employed to make the most of the limited bandwidth the standards employ. For those keeping score at home: not a single codec available can meet wired signal quality. Though Bluetooth audio has come a long way since its noisy beginnings, it’s still not ready to replace the headphone jack. Qualcomm’s aptx HD, and Sony’s LDAC 990kbps codecs come close, but everything else falls far short of the mark.
Audio frequency response over Bluetooth
Introduction : Using some binaural beat meditation, the vendor claims that their sound frequency goes down to 5 Hz to get better meditation quality. Even though the human ear can’t hear 5Hz, the brain responds to it. The vendor advised using wire headphones because the Bluetooth frequency response is from 20Hz. Question: Why can’t Bluetooth decode 5Hz frequency? I thought the audio is transmitted in binary raw data, and the headphone will decode wherever it receives.
4 Answers 4
Ignore their recommendations.
Binaural beats generate the beat in your mind. They use audible sounds that are close together in frequency (say, 1000 and 1005 Hz.) Your hearing generates the beat from the difference. Playing the 1000 and 1005 Hz will cause you to perceive a 5Hz «beat» that exists nowhere physically — it is literally all in your head.
It doesn’t matter if the speaker, headphone, or audio system can convey a very low frequency signal because the low frequency isn’t actually there. Only the normal audio frequencies need to be conveyed. Bluetooth should do just fine. Hifi systems may go down to 20Hz while others may cutout the low frequencies below 100Hz.
Bluetooth and other audio systems usually filter out low frequencies. Your ear can’t hear them and the speakers can’t effectively reproduce them, so they are filtered out. It saves bandwidth and power when you don’t transfer sounds that no one can hear anyway.
Binaural beats are a thing.
Whether they have any influence on your meditation or whatever is an entirely different question that can’t be answered here.
Xiaomi Headphones Frequency Response
The list gets constantly updated every time a new Xiaomi headphone frequency response measurement is added.
If you want to check other of the best budget earphones reviews you can go to our Reviews page and select the earphone brand that you want to see or you can go to our homepage and check all the latest earphones reviews.
If you are looking for all the scores of the earphones that we have reviewed check our:
In Ear Headphones Scores Comparison Page.
You may also find useful our Best Earphones Charts with the top in-ear headphones in different categories such as:
- Best Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Earphones
- Best Bluetooth Headphones Earphones
- Best Headphones for Monitoring & Mixing
- Best Headphones with Flat Response
- Best In-Ear Headphones for Daily Commute
- Editor’s Picks Headphones Earphones
- Best Basshead Headphones Earphones
- Best Sports Headphones Earphones
- Best Fun Sounding Earphones
- Best Balanced Sound Earphones
- Best Least Fatiguing Headphones Earphones
- Best Bang for the Buck Headphones Earphones
- Best Designed Headphones Earphones
- Best Featured In-Ear Headphones
- Best In-Ear Headphones for Flight Travelling
- Best True Wireless Earphones and Earbuds
- Lightests In-Ear Headphones
- Most Comfortable In-Ear Headphones
- Most Durable In-Ear Headphones
- Smallest In-Ear Headphones
- Best Headphones Earphones for Libraries
- Best Headphones Earphones for Bed
- Best Headphones Earphones for Helmets
Xiaomi Headphones Frequency Response Measurements
Found the Information Useful?
We hope you enjoyed this article. All the earphones reviews, earbuds reviews, headsets reviews, in-ear monitors reviews (iem), in-ear headphones reviews are made as objective and thorough as possible to provide our readers a way to choose the best earphones, earbuds, iem, in-ear monitors, headsets and in-ear headphones. By providing exhaustive information we allow our readers to even fine-tune their choices to select among the best budget earphones, best earphones for sports, best basshead earphones, best fun sounding earphones, most balanced earphones, least fatiguing earphones, most comfortable earphones, best looking earphones or even for the best cheap earphones to buy. Our resources offer: In-Depth Earphones Reviews, Earphones Scores Compared, an Earphones Size Comparison Tool, a sound frequency cheat-sheet, an Earphones Amplification Comparison Table, a brief audio glossary with the most frequent audio terms and audio definitions, and our Earphones Top Charts (covering the Top 10 Basshead Earphones, Best Bang for Buck Earphones, Top Sports Earphones, Best KZ earphones, Best bang for buck KZ earphones, Best basshead KZ earphones, Best KZ earphones for bass, Best KZ earphones for gaming, Best KZ earphones for sleeping, Best KZ earphones for working out, Best KZ earphones under $20, Best KZ earphones under $50, Best smallest KZ earphones, Top Balanced Earphones, Top Fun Sound Earphones, top smooth sounding earphones), Best Xiaomi Headphones, Best Xiaomi Earphones for Bass, Best Xiaomi Headphones under $50, Best Xiaomi Headphones under $20, The Best Xiaomi Wireless Headphones, Best Bang for Buck Xiaomi Headphones, Best 11.11 Deals and Coupons – Aliexpress – Gearbest – Banggood, Black Friday Coupons and Deals, Aliexpress Anniversary Sale Coupons and Deals, Cyber Monday Coupons and Discounts, Black Friday Coupons Aliexpress, Gearbest, Banggood, Amazon Coupons Discounts Deals Promo Codes Sales, ALIEXPRESS Coupons and Promo Codes – Exclusive Discounts