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Jayers13 Author

Level 1

22 points

iPhone 13 Pro Bluetooth sound quality is terrible

Since switching to the iPhone 13 pro the Bluetooth sound quality is terrible. I’ve had iPhones for years and never had this problem. I have to turn up my trucks volume, my Bose earbuds are maxed out and my Bose speaker. Neither is very loud. The bass quality isn’t as good and it isn’t very loud at all with the volume all the way up. Nothing compared to what they sounded like with my iPhone XR. I’ve messed with EQ, Bluetooth set for speaker or headphones etc. nothing changes or helps. Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 15

Posted on Jan 5, 2022 4:56 PM

Top-ranking reply

sigurd162

Level 1

13 points

Posted on Jan 25, 2022 9:52 PM

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?

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Similar questions

27 replies

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Apr 30, 2022 10:26 AM in response to Smlycat

Android supports various vendor-proprietary higher quality Bluetooth audio codecs like Qualcomm’s aptX, aptX LL, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive and Sony’s LDAC; iOS does not.

Likewise, iOS devices support AAC, but not all third party Bluetooth headphones or other devices do, forcing a fallback to the lowest common denominator, SBC.

May 21, 2022 7:58 AM in response to t0m4z

I took my 13 pro max to Apple store today and had it tested as I found the sound quality terrible - very high pitched and screechy. No problem found however, the sound quality is unacceptable for such an expensive phone. Wish I hadn’t upgraded from iPhone 12.

NoRhythm

Level 1

12 points

Jun 3, 2022 7:28 AM in response to sigurd162

I wholeheartedly agree with Sigurd162. A flagship model ($) should not erode specifications, it s/b all about further refinement, be it against your prior offerings or those of your current competitors. Granted Airplay is an option, but functional reality is BT is amazingly convenient and its technology has greatly improved. Your loyal customers (who have probably purchased at least 5 versions of iPhone since its inception) expect the same advancements in the conduits technology, especially when the phone costs more than a good laptop.

Cas097

Level 1

8 points

Jun 6, 2022 4:34 AM in response to Jayers13

I figured it out, so it seems like notification sounds interfere with sound quality on bluetooth. For instance My speaker usually is really loud especially with my iphone 11. I noticed it’s pretty quiet. Then an alarm went off and the Volume almost doubled after the alarm went off.

EugeneDL

Level 1

12 points

Jul 9, 2022 10:51 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

I think there's something else going on. I have tried listening to these lossless tracks on my iPhone but anything I listen to on my iPhone sounds compressed. However, if I listen to the same tracks on my Apple Watch they sound phenomenal!

If this is a codec thing I think the Apple Watch should also sound like the phone. I would imagine Apple would be using the same codecs for their devices, interestingly, the watch sounds amazing, the phone does not. I have contacted support and all they can do is gather data from my device...

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Feb 12, 2022 2:03 AM in response to sigurd162

Apple is not going to support either aptX HD or LDAC, which are proprietary protocols owned by competitors Apple would need to pay (Qualcomm and Sony, respectively.)

dntechvn

Level 1

8 points

Feb 12, 2022 2:19 AM in response to Jayers13

Firstly restart your iPhone 13. You should to check to make sure your SIM card is positioned correctly in the tray. The SIM card slot on the iPhone 13 is located on the left side of your phone camera

Mar 17, 2022 7:56 AM in response to Anjanamohan

Some sort of improvement on iPhone 13 Pro Max with iOS 15.4. Soundstage is more consistent and precise. Everything seems in the right place. Jitter issues may have been solved with this update.

Smlycat

Level 1

12 points

Apr 30, 2022 9:58 AM in response to Jayers13

Any solution? I'm with you, the sound quality on my beats flex is pitiful! I was better on my 8 year old Android.....

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Jun 3, 2022 10:53 AM in response to NoRhythm

That’s good, as BT audio quality is not degraded from what it was on earlier models of iPhone.

Jul 9, 2022 12:31 AM in response to kesenwang

Haha what? Why do you think Apple worked so hard on the AAC codec in the first place? Bluetooth and Audiophile never go together. Bluetooth by nature is compressed audio, take a seat.

Jul 12, 2022 2:29 PM in response to Anjanamohan

This worked! The extra processing through the Headphone safety feature wasn't reducing the soundstage and quality of the audio.

iPhone 13 Pro Bluetooth sound quality is terrible