Is LDAC Truly Hi-Res? The Technical Truth About Its "Lossless" Claims

We all want the best. In the world of music, that means Hi Res audio. But we also crave the freedom of wireless. For years, these two ideas were in direct conflict. Bluetooth just was not built to handle the massive data of a studio quality track.

Then, Sony introduced LDAC.

You have seen the logo on premium headphones and in your Android phone's settings. It comes with a bold promise: Hi Res audio, wirelessly. But in the audiophile world, a fierce debate rages. Is it truly Hi Res? Is it lossless? Or is this all just incredibly clever marketing?

Let's cut through the noise. Here is the technical truth about the LDAC debate.

First, What is Hi-Res Audio?

Before we can judge LDAC, we need a baseline. So, what is Hi Res audio?

Think of it like a high resolution photograph. A standard MP3 or streaming file is a compressed image. You can see the picture, but a lot of the fine detail is lost. The colors are muted, and the edges are blurry.

Hi Res audio, by contrast, is the original, massive raw file from the photographer's camera. It is officially defined by the Japan Audio Society as audio with a higher sample rate and bit depth than a CD.

• CD Quality: 16 bit / 44.1kHz

• Hi Res Audio: 24 bit / 96kHz (or even higher)

These bigger numbers mean a much wider dynamic range (the difference between the softest and loudest sounds) and a huge increase in detail. The problem? These files are enormous. A wired connection can handle them. Bluetooth cannot.

What is LDAC? Sony's Answer to the "Pipe" Problem

This is where Sony's brilliant engineering comes in. So, what is LDAC?

LDAC is an audio codec. A codec is a piece of software that compresses and decompress new digital audio. Your phone uses a codec to shrink a music file, send it over the air via ldac bluetooth, and your headphones use the same codec to unshrink it.

The most basic codec, SBC, is like a tiny garden hose. It prioritizes a stable connection, not quality. LDAC is a massive, high tech fire hose.

Its claim to fame is its maximum bitrate: 990 kilobits per second (kbps).

For comparison:

• Standard SBC: ~328 kbps

• Apple's AAC: ~256 kbps

• Qualcomm aptX HD: ~576 kbps

• LDAC (Max): ~990 kbps

This massive data pipe is what allows what is ldac audio to sound so much better. It is simply sending three times more information than its standard competitors. You can read Sony's own overview on their official LDAC page.

The Technical Truth: Is LDAC Lossless or Lossy?

This is the central question. And to answer it, we must be very clear about our words.

• Lossless: A perfect, bit for bit clone of the original source. Think of a ZIP file. When you unzip it, 100% of the original data is there. FLAC and ALAC are lossless audio formats.

• Lossy: Throws away data that it thinks you cannot hear to make the file smaller. An MP3 is the most famous example. You can never get that lost data back.

So, where does LDAC fit?

LDAC is a lossy codec.

This is not a failure of the codec; it is a description of its design. Even at its maximum 990 kbps, a true 24 bit/96kHz Hi Res file (which runs at 4,608 kbps) simply will not fit. LDAC has to use a very clever, hybrid form of compression to transmit it.

For context, other codecs like Qualcomm's aptX Lossless are designed to do something different: they deliver a true, bit perfect CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) file.

LDAC's goal is not to be lossless. Its goal is to be Hi Res. It is designed to take a 24 bit/96kHz Hi Res file and transmit it in a lossy way that sounds perceptually identical to the original. This is why it is officially certified "Hi Res Audio Wireless" by the Japan Audio Society.

The Three Faces of LDAC

The "LDAC" you are using is not always the same. It has three different modes, and this is where most of the confusion comes from.

1. Connection Priority (330 kbps): This is the default on many phones. It's a stable, reliable connection, but at this bitrate, it is not dramatically better than other codecs. It is definitely not Hi Res.

2. Normal/Adaptive (660 kbps): This is the middle ground. It sounds excellent, noticeably better than CD quality, and is a great balance of performance and stability.

3. Quality Priority (990 kbps): This is the real LDAC. This is the mode that gets you into Hi Res territory. At 990 kbps, it can transmit 24 bit/96kHz audio with perceptually minimal loss.

So, let's be crystal clear. Even at 990 kbps, it is still a lossy transmission. But it is certified Hi Res because it is the first codec to transmit at Hi Res frequencies (96kHz) with such a high data rate, preserving so much detail that it's sonically brilliant.

The answer to "is LDAC lossless" is a definitive no. But the answer to "is it Hi Res" is a certified yes. It is a high resolution lossy codec.

What You Need to Experience True LDAC

You do not just get 990 kbps LDAC. You have to build the right audio chain, which requires three specific components.

1. A Compatible Source: This is your phone, player, or laptop.

   • Android: Most modern Android phones (Android 8.0 "Oreo" and up) support LDAC. This includes Google Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, and Sony phones.

   • Apple: iPhones do not support LDAC. They use AAC. This is a critical point.

2. Compatible Headphones: Your headphones must have the specific chip licensed to receive and decode the LDAC signal. This is what is ldac headphones. Just having Bluetooth is not enough. High fidelity headphones like the Baseus Inspire XH1 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones are engineered for this exact purpose, designed to reproduce the detail that high bitrate codecs deliver. This is also what is Hi Res headphones: headphones with drivers that can physically reproduce the extended frequency range of Hi Res music.

3. A High Quality Music Source: This is non negotiable. If you stream low quality Spotify or YouTube Music, LDAC will not make it sound better. You need Hi Res files, which you can get from services like TIDAL, Qobuz, or Amazon Music HD.

How to Force 990 kbps on Your Android Phone

 Here’s a pro tip. Most Android phones default to the "Best Effort (Adaptive)" LDAC mode, which means you are probably listening at 660 kbps or even 330 kbps. You have to force the high quality mode.

1. First, pair your LDAC headphones to your phone.

2. Go to Settings > About Phone.

3. Tap on "Build Number" seven times until it says "You are now a developer!"

4. Go back to Settings > System > Developer Options.

5. Scroll down to the "Networking" section.

6. Find "Bluetooth Audio Codec" and make sure it says LDAC.

7. Right below it, tap "Bluetooth Audio LDEC Codec: Playback Quality".

8. Change it from "Best Effort" to "Optimized for Audio Quality (990 kbps)".

A quick warning: This 990 kbps mode is fragile. If you put your phone in your back pocket or walk into a room with a lot of WiFi interference, the audio may stutter. It prioritizes quality over everything.

Conclusion: The Best We Have (And It's Fantastic)

So, is LDAC truly Hi Res?

• Is it technically, 100% bit perfect lossless? No.

• Is it certified as "Hi Res Audio Wireless"? Yes.

• Is it the best bluetooth codec for listening to 24 bit/96kHz Hi Res files? Absolutely.

LDAC is a masterpiece of audio engineering. It pushes the absolute limits of what Bluetooth technology can do. It's a "perceptually lossless" solution that delivers an experience so close to wired Hi Res audio that it has fundamentally changed the game for wireless listening.

For the music lover who wants the convenience of wireless without sacrificing the soul of the music, LDAC is the answer.

Ready to hear the difference for yourself? You need gear that can keep up. Explore our full Baseus Inspire Series collection to find premium audio products designed for the high resolution world.

FAQs

Is LDAC better than aptX HD?

On paper, yes. LDAC has a higher maximum bitrate (990 kbps) compared to aptX HD (576 kbps). This means it can transmit more audio data, resulting in a more detailed and richer sound, especially when playing 24 bit/96kHz Hi Res files. However, aptX HD is often considered more stable.

Do iPhones support LDAC?

No. This is a very common question. iPhones and all Apple devices (including iPads and Macs) do not support LDAC. Apple's ecosystem uses AAC as its highest quality Bluetooth codec.

How do I know if I'm actually using LDAC?

When you connect compatible headphones to a compatible Android phone, a small toast message often appears saying "Connecting with LDAC." You can also confirm by enabling "Developer Options" (as described in the article) and checking the "Bluetooth Audio Codec" setting while your headphones are connected.

So, is LDAC truly lossless?

No. This is the most important takeaway. LDAC is a lossy codec, even at its 990 kbps "Quality Priority" setting. It is not bit perfect. However, it is certified "Hi Res Audio Wireless" because it is designed to transmit Hi Res files at a high data rate, sounding perceptually lossless. This is different from codecs like aptX Lossless, which are designed to transmit a perfect CD quality file.