Lack of APTx Adaptive Support on S24 Ultra

[SzymonSebMalecki]

Can someone explain to me why Snapdragon Powered S24 Ultra with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU still doesn't support APTx Adaptive? Every single time my phone receives a new update, I keep checking if I can finally see it (I owned Bose QuietComfort Ultras for a couple of months they just received 1.6.7 update today no change whatsoever). The best I can do on my brand new flagship phone is AAC!! Why?? One of primary reasons why I upgraded from S22 Ultra with Exynos 2200 series for the latest Snapdragon CPU, hoping that I can finally use my BT5.3 QuietComfort Ultras without having to use my Creative BT-5 APTX-Adaptive dongle which seems to be the only way for me. I can't see a single reason why there is no support added for Snapdragon Variants if it's a software thing. Do you really want people rooting their few weeks old phones for this or trying to install it from dodgy websites? You can really fix it with a single update or Beta Labs functionality for people eager to try it Samsung!! I had the phone since day one, and it was by far the biggest dissapppointments of starting to use my new Ultra phone this year. This is a link to Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SOC Product Specification: https://www.qualcomm.com/products/mobile/snapdragon/smartphones/snapdragon-8-series-mobile-platforms... can someone from Samsung Software team explain it to us customers? It's a listed Codec in Snapdragon product brief. I kept leaving messages on Your Facebook ADs in the UK multiple times asking. I even tried asking that at the Samsung Experience Store whilst awaiting the delivery of my brand new phone, and your employees clearly keep it a secret. I think that more Tech youtubers should start discussing this and spread the awareness.

[TechZilla · Accepted solution]

This has been the case for a few years now regardless if it's Snapdragon or exynos powered. I wish APTx adaptive was available too. The S24 Ultra has SBC, AAC, APTx, LDAC and SSC which is Samsungs own seamless codec. I suspect SSC is why APTx adaptive is not included. I personally use Sony WH-1000XM5 which activate the LDAC codec which is the best for sound quality over Bluetooth. But I get where you are coming from, I would like to have all options available.

[SzymonSebMalecki]

Thank you for your reply. That's right, I have seen options for LDAC inside Developer Settings on my phone, but I have been a loyal Bose, Bang, and Olufsen and Sennheiser owner for years trying all sorts of headphones on the market. All their latest flagship headphones and Earbuds nowadays support APTx Adative, so I'm not the only person who might be dissapppointment to discover that their pair of BT5.3 headphones wouldn't be compatible with the latest Snapdragon Sound Audio tech. I really believe that limiting our ability to use other Audio Codecs in place of manufacturer's own SSC -> Samsung's Seamless Codec is really bad anti customer behaviour 👎 I have been doing some research regarding this on the Web and there have been reports of people complaining about it dating back to S23 Ultra release (it has older gen BT5.2 a limitation for APTx Adaptive support). I was hoping that with new S24 Ultra, there would be some sort of change, but no luck. I have seen other S24 Ultra owners complaining about it, leaving comments on multiple YT reviews and community groups on FB. I hope for a change. Much cheaper Chinese phones have this feature, so I can't really see why a flagship manufacturer, basically an iPhone of the Android world, can't have it after 2 years of Snapdragon on Ultra series globally. It's probably the biggest disadvantage of this phone and the most annoying software limitation there is.

[TechZilla]

I would also love to see Snapdragon APTx lossless, this has been touted for a while and it exists, I have a pair of Nura Pro buds that support this but there are still not enough headphones, earbuds or phones supporting this. It's meant to be equal if not marginally better than LDAC.

[SzymonSebMalecki]

It's worth that to mention that aptX as a whole is open-source on Android (which might explain why aptX HD is greyed out in developer settings), it seems like a missed opportunity on new S24 series. Many of us have invested in newer earbuds and headphones that fully support aptX Adaptive, I understand what you mean, but this Year more and people would start realising this software limitation. Could Samsung look into a solution that enables the full potential of aptX Adaptive on our Snapdragon powered devices? When we discuss LDAC, it's worth noting that there seem to be changing specs across versions of APTx Adaptive (r2.0, r2.1, r2.2), and lack of transparency makes it hard to know even when you have APTx adaptive support that you are even getting the best audio. Many headphones/earbuds seem stuck on phones that support it are stuck older versions of APTx Adaptive, limiting their potential. To satisfy all customers and play fair, let's see what the Samsung Dev team thinks about adding r2.1 and r2.2 support as a Labs feature or within the Sound Assistant Good Lock module This would let eager users beta test it.

[GoanGeek]

Call it education.

Since I got the s24 ultra.

I have come across so many issues with this phone discussed and reported that I would have never thought existed or even bothered to look for.

Been using the bose 700 nc for reference.

It's Awesome to read and learn about new stuff.
But then I guess ordinary people like me start wondering whether to be happy or sad with our purchases. ☺️

[SzymonSebMalecki]

I owned Bose NC700s since the release date for the past couple of years prior to upgrading to Ultras. I started my journey with Bose with the first Gen Silver Bose QC35s back in 2016, which, in fact, my dad still uses, and they have been great reliable headphones, kept in the family for years. I was eager to try out what APTx Adaptive is like, on new QuietComfort Ultras, and when you test it out with the dongle that supports it, you can be pleasantly surprised with the sound quality. It's a known fact that Bose QC Ultras use the same drivers as NC700s. I pre-ordered Bose QC Ultras, and in fact, I was one of the first couple of people to post a review of these on Bose’s website. I was thinking about a move away from including headphones jack on phones a few years back and starting the wireless BT audio shift. I really think that in order for tech to stay competitive, manufacturers should keep up competitive with new market trends.

[GoanGeek]

Thanks for the info.

I actually got my bose 700 nc free with the Google pixel 6 preorders.

Just got the phone for the freebie 😆

I was blown away by them and still use them . Just had to change the pads .

Hope you find a solution for your issue.

[SzymonSebMalecki]

Thank you for your interest and continued support reporting your findings to the community. It's all that matters to play as a part of a larger group of people from various backgrounds. Some of us might be more into the latest tech than others. Some might only care about looks on their new phones, but I really think that Samsung Members was created for a reason, and playing part in reporting missed opportunities here is a way to go.

[TechZilla]

Snap, I had the QC35s and gave them to my mum who still uses them and they are perfect condition. I own the Bose NC700s since release but didn't upgrade to the ultras because of the same drivers and the phones I prefer using (iPhone and Samsung) don't support APTx adaptive. I do use Beyerdynamic high-end headphones at home wired which are plugged into a usbc dac which is then plugged into my S24 Ultra and this gives me MQA and lossless via tidal and I downloaded USB Player Pro and play tidal through that because it bypasses the on board dac in the S24 in favour of the plug in external dac I use and the sound quality is superb. Just need those codecs when out and about.