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I finally got studio-quality sound on my Pixel from one hidden toggle I found
Android Police • • technology
Key Points:
- Google has added native support for the high-resolution LHDC v5 audio codec to Pixel phones running Android 17, improving wireless audio quality for compatible earbuds beyond the previously dominant Sony LDAC codec.
- LHDC v5 supports up to 1 Mbps bitrate and 24-bit/96 kHz audio, offering high-fidelity wireless sound comparable to LDAC, but requires both the phone and earbuds to support and enable the codec for optimal performance.
- The feature is available on Tensor-powered Pixel devices from Pixel 6 to Pixel 10, with LHDC v5 activation found in Developer Options, though users must also enable high-res modes in their earbud companion apps to avoid default lower sample rates.
- While LHDC v5 delivers superior audio quality, it consumes more battery and requires a stable wireless environment; in noisy or interference-heavy settings, lower-bitrate codecs like AAC may provide more reliable playback.
- The integration of LHDC v5 at the Android system level signals its potential widespread adoption across future Android devices, breaking the previous duopoly of Sony's LDAC and Qualcomm's aptX in the high-res wireless audio market.
