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Comment by jagger27 | Hacker News Reader

I find it beautiful that the LDAC codec used with Sony wireless Bluetooth headphones only works on Linux through PipeWire. macOS is stuck with AAC, and Windows gets aptX. Linux gets all of them.

Who do I thank for making this Just Work?

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Probably EHfive for their pioneering work on integrating those into PA/bluez https://github.com/EHfive/pulseaudio-modules-bt

> macOS is stuck with AAC, and Windows gets aptX. Linux gets all of them.

I believe 21H2 is slated to bring AAC over to Windows, along with some other Bluetooth related enhancements. (They now merge the Headphone/Headset devices so you don't get the "I have no audio whenever I start a call" confusion with playback switching)

Let it be officiated here if not already:

The $350 WH-1000XM4 has invariably higher-bandwith, higher-resolution audio than the $500+ Airpods Max. Whoever set that price at Apple is squirming in their seat, I can't seem to find it being sold new for more than $550.

This is part of the reason why I returned my AirPods Max two days after trying them out and stuck with my Sony WH-100XM4s. Even though the AirPods were better for quick switching between devices, have a better voice chat experience, and have better noise cancellation, they don't universally sound better. I wasn't impressed at all by the sound quality. They also clamp extremely hard on my big head compared to the Sonys. The lack of comfort on such expensive cans is a big deal breaker.

I'm keeping a close eye on what Sony does next, because most of what they're doing now is really good.

Does this Sony thing phone home, or demand other concessions?

I bought Audio Technica phones sometime back. The pads have burst twice. Now all the active features are dead.

I had sworn off Sony products because they always quit working after a year. Do they still do this? I felt like I was just renting.

The previous version, the WH-1000XM3, does not phone home (at least if you don't use the app) and still works after a year without issue.

I've had the previous version of those earphones for almost two years now, they've been working flawlessly. The only issue is the foam in-ear insert is getting old and less comfortable, but that's a cheap fix on Amazon (and not a problem with the plastic inserts).

In that price range there's also the Drop Pandas. No active noise cancellation though (which some people don't like anyway).

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