Intel Bluetooth drivers - how to control protocols in use

[RRudo]

Hi all

I have a Dell XPS 13 9350 and all my music on the laptop is encoded with aac. My bluetooth speaker is a Denon Envaya which supports aac over Bluetooth.

I would like to know how I can ensure that the aac files on the laptop are sent to the speakers as raw (unmodified) aac and decoded in the speaker (which I guess would be the point of implementing the aac protocol in the Bluetooth audio profile.

I have searched the web intensively for an answer to this question but got varying answers. The common ground seems to be that aac encoded files get decompressed to 44.1kHz audio and then are reencoded to aac for the transmission to the speaker / headphone. This of course is suboptimal.

I also found a rather obscure DELL Bluetooth app called Network_Application_100J9_WN32_17.1.1530.31_A00.exe which apparently adds aptx functionality to the Intel Bluetooth Drivers. It does report aptx use if the speaker supports aptx, but results in severe dropouts, when a non aptx capable speakere is connected.

So the whole audio over Bluetooth thing seems to be quite a mess. Does anyone know if there is any intention on the Intel side to clear up this mess in the near future. It looks like a fairly easy task

- aptx is owned by Qualcomm and is freely available now

- Sony's LDAC is also freely availabel

So it would be easy to integrate the major bluetooth audio protocols into the driver stack and give the user an interface with which he can actually control the protocols used in the audio link.

[idata · Accepted solution]

Hello rudolffischer,

Thanks for posting in our communities.

Most active Intel Wireless adapters are compliant with Bluetooth* 4.2. The aptX* codec is not part of the https://www.bluetooth.com/specifications/bluetooth-core-specification core specifications for Bluetooth* 4.2.

As you discovered, aptX* functions are added by the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). In the case of your system, they are added as http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/drivers/driversdetails?driverId=3D11R Intel® PROSet/Wireless Bluetooth LEGUI Application.

There are no announcements regarding this or other proprietary features being added on future releases of the https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005489/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking.html Intel® PROSet/Wireless Bluetooth Software and Drivers. However, we'll bring this to our business unit for consideration.

NOTE: Links to third party sites are being offered for your convenience and should not be viewed as an endorsement by Intel of the content, products, or services offered there.

Best regards,

Eugenio F.

[RRudo]

Hi Eugenio

thanks for the update. After some initial difficulties I was able to install the Dell LEGUI drivers.

With Android 8 (Oreo), Google has introduced aptx and LDAC as protocols available in A2DP. Hence my request to add these in the Intel stack as well. I am aware that adding these it entirely at Intel's discretion, but it would be a great addition.

Adding aac raw streaming would be a great alternative to aptx. aac is already there in the Intel bluetooth stack (I think). Today it simply decompresses and recompresses aac tracks for transmission, instead of sending them in the original compressed form and letting the speaker do the decompression. aac is supported by a great number of bluetooth devices. I have not seen an aptx capable device that is not capable of handling aac. The quality of the aac codec is absolutely comparable to aptx.

The most important feature that I am requesting is a user interface that gives imore nformation about the codec used and allows control over the codec used. Such an interface is available in Android Oreo (see attached).

Thanks and best regards

Rudi

[idata]

Hello rudolffischer,

Thanks for your reply.We'll take your suggestion about adding a graphic interface to control the audio codecs for Bluetooth* to our developers.Best regards,Eugenio F.

[user37]

Hi, there

Is there any update for this suggestion ?

I think it is A great idea for all of us.

Please reply.