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If Bluetooth audio got worse immediately after you changed a codec setting, restore the device’s default or a codec supported by both your phone and headphones, then disconnect and reconnect the headphones. If the problem is only during calls, troubleshoot call and microphone routing separately: Bluetooth music and call audio do not always use the same audio path.
First, identify when the sound gets worse
Check whether the problem happens during music or video playback, only during calls or voice chat, or in every app. Confirm that the intended headphones are selected as the output and that media volume or an app’s playback settings have not changed. These are basic isolation checks; their exact menus vary by device.
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- Music skips or cuts out: suspect an unstable connection or a codec mode that prioritizes sound quality over connection stability.
- Music sounds different in every app: check the app and active output before changing codec settings again.
- Only calls sound poor: check call and microphone routing; do not assume that changing the music codec will fix it.
Undo the codec change and reconnect
On supported Android devices, Bluetooth codec controls are in Developer options. The exact path and available choices differ by manufacturer and Android version. Android documents controls for Bluetooth Audio Codec, sample rate, bits per sample, and channel mode, but does not establish one universal menu path or setting for every device. See Android’s Developer options guidance.
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- Return Bluetooth Audio Codec to the default or system-selected option, if available. If you also changed sample rate, bits per sample, or channel mode, restore those controls to their defaults as well.
- Disconnect and reconnect the headphones, then test the same app and type of audio that sounded worse.
Do not force the largest sample-rate or bit-depth number as a general sound-quality fix. Android lists these as configuration controls and notes that higher sample rates use more resources; it does not say that selecting the largest value improves what you hear. Leave them at the system default unless the device maker gives model-specific advice.
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Check that both devices support the codec
A codec appearing in Android’s general Developer options list does not mean your connected headphones support it. The phone or other source, the headphones, and their software all affect which configuration can be used. Android describes Bluetooth codec controls as adjustable options, while Nothing and Sony make LDAC use conditional on support from the connected devices. Check both manufacturers’ specifications or support instructions before selecting a codec.
If the setting you chose is not supported at both ends, use the default or another option both devices support. SBC, AAC, or another codec may be a practical fallback, but the right choice depends on the actual devices; do not force a codec simply because it appears in the menu. Android’s Bluetooth profiles documentation explains that A2DP is the profile for streaming high-quality audio between Bluetooth devices.
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If LDAC skips, favor connection stability
LDAC can be configured toward sound quality or connection stability on supported devices, but a higher-quality setting is not automatically the better troubleshooting choice. If you hear skips, interruptions, or dropouts, try an adaptive or stable-connection preference if your headphone maker provides one.
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- Nothing recommends adaptive LDAC quality for smooth playback. Its guidance also says a higher bitrate may require turning off dual connection; follow that advice only for a compatible Nothing model and its available controls. See Nothing’s LDAC instructions.
- Sony recommends prioritizing a stable connection when sound skips. Its LDAC guidance says a changed connection-quality selection may not take effect immediately; toggle Bluetooth on the playback device or power-cycle the headphones if LDAC does not become active. These steps are model-specific, not universal Android instructions. See Sony’s LDAC troubleshooting guidance and Sony’s sound-skipping guidance.
Use a lower bitrate only if the product exposes that control and its manufacturer recommends it for your model. Avoid repeatedly changing unrelated Developer options in pursuit of a universal “best” codec setting.
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Treat call audio as a separate problem
Bluetooth music streaming and voice calls can use different audio behavior. Android notes that Bluetooth Classic lowers audio quality when Bluetooth microphones are in use. Supported LE Audio configurations provide a different path, but require compatible devices and operating-system support. See Android’s LE Audio overview.
If music sounds normal but calls do not, test playback outside the call and check which microphone and audio output the call is using. Forcing a high-quality media codec during a call may not address a change caused by call routing or microphone use.
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If restoring the baseline does not help
Test the headphones with another compatible source, or test another Bluetooth audio device with the original source, to narrow down which side is involved. If the sound remains poor across devices and apps after restoring the baseline, follow the headphone maker’s model-specific reset or firmware instructions. A reset is an escalation step, not the first response to a codec change; Sony includes reset in its model-specific sound-skipping guidance.
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