iPhone 13 Pro Bluetooth sound quality is terrible

Hi,

I've been a long-time Android user for the last 8 years and decided to switch to the 13 Pro Max this year. As a lover of high quality music I recently bought an audiophile grade Bluetooth streaming device to stream music from my 13 Pro Max to the Hifi.

I was shocked to find that the sound quality from the iPhone 13 Pro Max bluetooth streaming is horrible! The device I stream to can handle all current high definition codecs and is future proof, so it's not the fault of the unit.

I had to bring my Samsung Note 10 + back into the fold for streaming and using the LDAC codec from the phone the audio is unbelievably good.

I'm really disappointed that there is no high definition Bluetooth streaming codec on an expensive range topping flagship device by Apple, which there should be!

When will this be added to the Apple Bluetooth streaming platform?

Flagship device without this flagship feature is unacceptable!

I thought Apple was serious about the quality of their audio?

That's completely unfair.

Apple has actually been at least somewhat proactive in increasing sound quality with things like having Apple Music stream and allow you to download lossless files.

A more apt statement would be "Apple and proprietary third party Bluetooth audio CODECs that require paying licensing fees do not go together."

That would explain their reticence to use either Qualcomm's aptX or Sony's LDAC.

I had the same issue. But I recently found the solution.

Go to ‘sound & haptics’ option under settings.

Click on ’ headphone safety’ and then disable the ‘Reduce loud sounds’ option.

Before this, the sound produced by Bluetooth or even a lighting to 3.5mm adapter seemed inferior to my other android devices. There was hardly any bass or sound stage. But this fixed it for me. Hope this helps✌️

I had the same issue. But I recently found the solution.

Go to ‘sound & haptics’ option under settings.

Click on ’ headphone safety’ and then disable the ‘Reduce loud sounds’ option.

That fixed it for me. Hope this helps.✌️

Hi there Jayers13,

You've already tried some great troubleshooting steps! We certainly want to help however we can as we use our iPhone for the car and wireless headphones.

We want to continue troubleshooting by confirming the following details:

1. Currently, is iOS 15.2 the version number showing within Settings > General > About? If not, here's a link that'll show how to first back up, then Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
2. If iOS 15.2 is already installed, this link shows how to Restart your iPhone.
3. If you have a case on your iPhone, please remove it, then test for the same issue.
4. If you disable Wi-Fi from the top of the Settings app, does the same issue occur?

Cheers!

The problem is not codec related. iPhone 12 with AAC streaming was way ahead of Android flagship streaming LDAC, with the same Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth audio management in iPhone 12 was close to jitter free. I guess iPhone 13 Pro Max is plagued with jitter, which corrupts treble and soundstage. Jitter might be the reason why mids are boosted with 13 Pro Max too.

The good news is that iPhone/Apple devices provides alternative which gives sound quality better than LDAC, it is AirPlay.

LDAC is ~900kbps while AirPlay is CD quality (~1400kbps).

So the solution would be to invest in AirPlay enabled devices instead of bluetooth streamer(s).

If someone fancy streaming hi-res music then it's time to read about Roon capabilities.

Good luck!

Hi Jayers 13, I also just bought my 13 pro max yesterday, upgraded from a 11 pro max and the sound quality is so different! The 13 pro max has a higher shriller treble, little base and sound balance. It actually hurts the ears. Speakers for youtube videos aren't as loud or clear.

In my car, the 11 pro max was amazing, it was smooth, well balance with good base and surround sound like a cinema quality. When you play any music from jazz, to rock to even kygo, the sound fills the car. but when I tried my 13 pro max this morning, it was so bad and i was really upset. It is a lot of money with the sound so poorly balanced and lack of oomph. Anyone has any solutions? Or is there an upgrade that can help.

To the contrary, Blujetooth is very much part of the audiophile realm, with the LDAC codec being all the rage. It would have been more apt to say "Audiophile and Apple are not ever terms that go together." Did you even look up "LDAC", which the original question clearly referenced?

I'm on iOS 15.2.1 with iPhone 13 Pro Max. Bluetooth audio is lame, with sampling artefacts in treble. I upgraded from iPhone 12 which was stellar for Bluetooth audio (I work as a earphones tester). I compared both iPhones with dozen of earphones and the 12, with iOS 14.x or 15.x is way ahead in terms of soundstage and fluidity. Real disappointment here since I care a lot about sound quality and 13 Pro Max is a marvel for everything else. If you guys could make the 13 series shine as the 12, that would be great !

I have been noticing this issue since my iPhone 6s/2015.

Surprisingly, my Apple Watch sounds better than my iPhones (6s, X, 13 Pro). The iPhones sounds compressed, muddy, and has a narrower sound stage while the Apple Watch sounds cleaner, more defined, and has a wide sound stage. I now only listen on my Apple Watch and only use the iPhone to modify my playlists. I also have an android phone with Apple Music installed and it sounds the same as my watch.

Does anyone's iPhone sounds muddy/narrow … - Apple Community

I'd check with Apple customer service first. Could be there are some defects in in phones.

I'd make warranty claim if quality of BT sound would be still unacceptable after checking customer service guidance.

Meanwhile the workaround could be be:

• use media connection cable in car if possible. It will give you losless sound quality better than BT at cost of lost of wireless convienience.

I agree Jayers13 - apple have lost me - will switch to android after all these years. Started with iPhone 4 and now got rid of my 13 pro max.

Audiophile and Bluetooth are not ever terms that go together, and I’ve never heard of a “audiophile grade Bluetooth device”. By nature Bluetooth compresses audio in ways that an Audiophile would pick up on immediately. Even with newer codecs you’re not experiencing lossless.

While this is true for some Apple devices, it is not for all. AirPlay requires Wifi, which all current listening devices including AirPod models do not have. The OG HomePod is the exception. Regardless Airplay maxes at 24/48.