Every published Bluetooth codec bitrate figure in one table, plus what one measurement author observed on a real link. Published rates run from the 127 kb/s floor of SBC's official ladder to LDAC's 990 kbps, with aptX HD at 576 and aptX Adaptive spanning 279-420 kbps. The observed layer adds the part spec sheets leave out: at 44.1 kHz content, aptX HD ran at 529 kbps and LDAC at 303/606/909 kbps, and Apple devices transmit AAC at 256 kbps. Every row names its source and date.
Figures on this page were checked September 2026. Every table row carries its source and access date; published rates and observed rates stay in separate rows, each labeled.
Sources and methodology
Two layers feed this page, and they stay separate in every table.
| Layer | Basis | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Published rates | Official spec tables and product pages: A2DP 1.3.2, Qualcomm aptX pages, Sony LDAC site, Android source code | 2026-09-22 |
| Observed rates | One independent measurement author (Archimago), one receiver (AIYIMA A08 PRO, QCC5125), Android 10 and iPhone sources, 24/44.1 test signals | 2026-09-22 |
The published layer is multi-source and official. The observed layer is a single program, so its rows are labeled as one author's rig, read as field evidence of what a real link negotiated.
Published rates by codec
| Codec | Published rate | Basis | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC | 127 to 345 kb/s across the recommended ladder; 328 kb/s at the High Quality joint-stereo setting, 44.1 kHz | Spec Table 4.7 worked examples | A2DP 1.3.2, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX | 352 kbps, fixed | Official spec page | aptX official page, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX HD | 576 kbps | Official spec page | aptX HD official page, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Adaptive | Typically 279 to 420 kbps, dynamic | Official spec page | aptX Adaptive official page, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Low Latency | No rate published | Official page carries no bitrate line | aptX LL official page, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Lossless | About 1 Mbps, scaling to 140 kbit/s in congestion | 2021 press release | Qualcomm press release, 2026-09-22 |
| LDAC | 330 / 660 / 990 kbps modes | Official developer site | Sony LDAC site, 2026-09-22 |
| AAC | No Apple-published rate; 320 kbps default constant in Android's A2DP source; 264 kbps maximum in a third-party table | Three meanings, three sources | Apple publishes none; AOSP a2dp_aac.cc; SoundGuys table, 2026-09-22 |
The SBC profile carries the full official ladder with bitpool mechanics. Against the official figures above, the third-party table matches exactly on aptX 352, aptX HD 576, aptX Adaptive 279-420 and LDAC 990, and diverges on two rows: it prints SBC at 320 kbps where the spec ladder tops out at 345, and aptX Lossless at 1,200 kbps where the announcement says about 1 Mbps.
Sample-rate effect
The quiet pattern under these tables: nameplate rates assume 48 kHz, most music is 44.1 kHz, and the payload shrinks accordingly.
| Codec | At 48 kHz | At 44.1 kHz | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC, High Quality joint stereo | 345 kb/s | 328 kb/s | A2DP Table 4.7 (both columns official) + same pairing observed by Archimago, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX HD | 576 kbps published | 529 kbps observed ("running at 529kbps for 44.1kHz sample rate") | aptX HD page (48) + Archimago rig (44.1), 2026-09-22 |
| LDAC | 330 / 660 / 990 kbps nominal modes | 303 / 606 / 909 kbps observed ("instead of the 48kHz bitrates") | Sony LDAC site (nominal modes) + Archimago rig, which ties the nominal values to 48 kHz, 2026-09-22 |
Adaptive behavior
Most modern codecs change rate on the fly; only the mechanism differs.
| Codec | Adaptation | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|
| SBC | Bitpool renegotiated per link, changeable "without suspending" the stream | A2DP 1.3.2, Section 4.3.2.6, 2026-09-22 |
| LDAC | Automatic switching among 330/660/990 kbps against radio conditions | Sony LDAC site, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Adaptive | Dynamic bit rate and latency adaptation without user intervention | aptX Adaptive official page, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Lossless | Scales down to 140 kbit/s in congested RF environments | Qualcomm press release, 2026-09-22 |
Observed rates
| Observation | Value | Conditions | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|---|
| aptX HD payload | 529 kbps | 44.1 kHz test signals, QCC5125 receiver, Android 10 source | Archimago Part I, 2026-09-22 |
| LDAC payloads | 303 / 606 / 909 kbps | Same rig, three quality settings | Archimago Part I, 2026-09-22 |
| Apple AAC in practice | 256 kbps transmitted, with 320 kbps as the codec's typical ceiling | Apple devices as sources | Archimago Parts I and II, 2026-09-22 |
| Encoder quality at 256 kbps | iPhone 11 and 14 Pro: THD+N better than -70 dB, TD+N better than -65 dB, "similar to the best that LDAC 909kbps achieved in Android" | iPhone sources into the same receiver | Archimago Part II, 2026-09-22 |
That last row is why the observed layer earns its place: 256 kbps of well-encoded AAC measured up against payloads more than three times larger. The verdict belongs to the measurement author; the numbers are his, quoted whole. Per-codec rate archives live in the aptX HD, aptX and AAC profiles.
Coverage and gaps
| Gap | Status | Source / as of |
|---|---|---|
| aptX Low Latency rate | No published figure on the official page; no observed row either | aptX LL official page, 2026-09-22 |
| Apple AAC rate | No first-party number exists; every AAC figure on this page is third-party with its basis labeled | Apple publishes none, 2026-09-22 |
| Observed layer breadth | One measurement author, one receiver, Android 10 and Apple sources; no second observed program met this page's bar yet | Compilation scope, 2026-09-22 |
| aptX Adaptive observed payload | Not in the observed set; the 279-420 kbps span stays official-only | Compilation scope, 2026-09-22 |
For the delay side of the same codecs, the latency bench compiles the measured record.
FAQ
Because the content sample rate changes the payload. The A2DP spec derives SBC's rate from sampling frequency, and the effect generalizes: LDAC's nameplate modes run 330/660/990 kbps, one observer measured 303/606/909 kbps with 44.1 kHz test signals and tied the nameplate values to 48 kHz, and aptX HD ran at 529 kbps instead of its 576 kbps nameplate. A "maximum" bitrate usually assumes 48 kHz.
Not by itself. Bitrate is payload, and encoder quality does the rest. One measurement author found Apple's 256 kbps AAC on iPhones measured better than aptX HD and at least equivalent to LDAC above 900 kbps, because Apple's encoder is that good. That is his published verdict, quoted as data; the spectral findings behind it sit in our spectrum bench.
Apple publishes no AAC bitrate. The observed figure is 256 kbps, reported by the same measurement author as what Apple devices typically transmit, while Android's A2DP software carries a 320 kbps default constant and a third-party table prints 264 kbps as a maximum. Three numbers, three meanings, all labeled.
No. The spec's recommended ladder runs 127 to 345 kb/s and the negotiated bitpool sets the point on it. The 328 kb/s figure is the High Quality joint-stereo example at 44.1 kHz from the official table; our SBC profile walks the full ladder.
blafili B3 Bluetooth Receiver
XLR, RCA, optical and coax outputs with an OLED front panel, built on the QCC5125 + ES9018K2M platform. A wired amp or receiver, put on a wireless source.
- Bluetooth SIG, A2DP 1.3.2: Table 4.7 recommended SBC parameter sets (bitpools 19/18/35/33/31/29/53/51 giving 127/132/229/237/193/198/328/345 kb/s across 44.1/48 kHz and mono/joint stereo); Section 4.3.2.6 bitpool range 2-250, dynamic change "without suspending"; Section 12.9 rate formula. bluetooth.com/specifications/specs/advanced-audio-distribution-profile-1-3-2/, accessed 2026-09-22
- Qualcomm official pages: aptX 352kbps (48kHz sampling); aptX HD 576 Kbits (48 kHz sampling); aptX Adaptive "Typically, 279kbps to 420kbps"; aptX Low Latency page publishes no bitrate. aptx.com, accessed 2026-09-22
- Qualcomm press release (September 1, 2021): aptX Lossless bit-rate about 1Mbps, scaling down to 140kbits/s in congested RF environments. qualcomm.com/news/releases/2021/09/01/qualcomm-adds-bluetooth-lossless-audio-technology-snapdragon-sound, accessed 2026-09-22
- Sony LDAC official site: 330/660/990 kbps modes; 328 kbps SBC comparison baseline at 44.1 kHz. sony.net/Products/LDAC/, accessed 2026-09-22
- SoundGuys, Bluetooth codec support for headphones: table rows SBC 320kbps, AAC 264kbps, aptX 352kbps, aptX HD 576kbps, aptX Adaptive 279-420kbps, aptX Lossless 1200kbps. soundguys.com/bluetooth-codec-support-headphones-61989/, accessed 2026-09-22
- AOSP a2dp_aac.cc: A2DP_AAC_DEFAULT_BITRATE 320000 with variable-bitrate configuration flags. android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/modules/Bluetooth/, accessed 2026-09-22
- Archimago's Musings, "Part I: Comparison of Bluetooth Fidelity - SBC, aptX, AAC, LDAC (Android 10 source)" (August 19, 2023; AIYIMA A08 PRO with QCC5125 receiver, Android 10 phone, 24/44.1 test signals): aptX HD "running at 529kbps for 44.1kHz sample rate"; LDAC at 44.1kHz "these will be at 303, 606, and 909kbps (instead of the 48kHz bitrates of 330, 660, and 990kbps)"; SBC "up to 345kbps as its High Quality profile at 48kHz, throttling down a little to 328kbps for 44.1kHz"; AAC "can go up to 320kbps, typically with most devices (like Apple's products), audio data is transmitted at 256kbps". archimago.blogspot.com/2023/08/part-i-comparison-of-bluetooth-fidelity.html, accessed 2026-09-22
- Archimago's Musings, "Part II: Comparison of Bluetooth Fidelity - AAC encoder quality (Android 10 & 13, Windows 11, Apple iPhones & Mac)": Apple standard AAC "running at 256kbps"; iPhone 11 and 14 Pro THD+N better than -70dB and TD+N better than -65dB, "similar to the best that LDAC 909kbps achieved in Android"; summary verdict "better than aptX-HD previously tested and at least equivalent to the higher bitrate LDAC >900kbps on Android". archimago.blogspot.com/2023/08/part-ii-comparison-of-bluetooth.html, accessed 2026-09-22