LDAC is taken away from the Nothing app on iPhone

ryanwuusa

I recently bought a pair of Ear 3 for its super mic and LDAC audio. The super mic works great when I needed it. However, I can’t use LDAC on Ear 3 as I am an iPhone user. I then bought a Questyle QCC Dongle Pro, which is a BT device that is connected to iPhone via USB-C and can bypass Apple’s limitation and transmit Qualcomm Aptx codecs and LDAC. It works really well with my B&W Pi5 earbuds via Aptx; however, it can’t connect to Ear 3 via LDAC. Later I learned that LDAC has to be turned on in the Nothing app, but I can’t find the button in the Nothing app. I am not sure if Apple forced Nothing to remove the button, or Nothing voluntarily remove the button assuming Apple user can use it anyway. Can Nothing simply add the button back? I contacted Nothing’s call center but two of the reps do not understand what I am talking about. Can anyone help here? Thanks!

AlexSilva1520

ryanwuusa el detalle es que ningún iPhone es compatible con LDAC, apple usa sus codec propios que son los AAC Y ALAC, Por eso no te aparece en la app de nothing

Womey

ryanwuusa

LDAC audio codec is not possible on iPhone, as Apple does not support it. Most likely why you are seeing that removed from iPhone, as it should have never been an option in the first place.

Err_404NotFound

ryanwuusa Since LDAC is only available to enable in the Nothing X app, and Apple does not allow the LDAC codec due to limitations on their side, Nothing explicitly explained on the product page for the Ear (3) / in the Nothing X app, that in order for the LDAC codec to work, it needs to be a hardware Bluetooth supported codec, and Apple does not support it for iPhones. So LDAC does not work as well compared to other phones such as Nothing Phones (Android in general).

SINCE LDAC NEEDS TO BE ENABLED IN THE APP ALONE, THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU CAN ENABLE LDAC FOR YOUR EAR 3 EVEN WITH A LDAC SUPPORT DONGLE, AND THE IPHONE OUTPUTTING THE BLUETOOTH SOUND TO YOUR EARBUDS DOES NOT SUPPORT THE CODEC.

ryanwuusa

Thanks guys. I do understand that Apple uses AAC codec, but I have a Bluetooth transmitter that bypasses AAC and transmits either Qualcomm Aptx codecs or LDAC. In other words, it effectively makes Apple and Android in terms of Bluetooth. The transmitter is proved working with my B&W Pi5 that supports Aptx. As long as Nothing gives me an option to activate LDAC on the Ear 3, it will work fine.

if anyone on the Nothing tech team sees this, can you please reply and let me know if the button can be added back in the next firmware update? Or please email me for a discussion? Thanks!

AlexSilva1520

ryanwuusa entiende por más que nothing te ponga esa opción no es posible ya que el IOS no va permitir activar la opción de LDAC, tu receptor funcionará bien en un dispositivo que no sea iPhone para iPhone a fuerzas necesitas que todos hablando el mismo lenguaje, lo que está haciendo es solo convertir AAC a codecs aptx y habla pérdida así que no tiene caso

code913

The iPhone itself doesn’t support LDAC which needs to be implemented at a system level. Nothing X can only ask your system to enable LDAC, it can’t interact with the dongle even if it supports it

IlyaAliev

What the point of using a dongle? From my understanding, I doesn’t make any sense. iPhone outputs a digital audio signal in AAC codec and transmitting it to the headphones. What dongle do is inputting AAC signal with all AAC loses and repacking it in LDAC. It is just unnecessary repacking and adding link to the system.

For example you could save mp3 file and then save it in WAV, but when packing it in MP3 audio you’ve already lost data, so saving it in WAV is useless. You just changing formats.

Take 1 liter of water and pour it into 3 liters bottle. It still the same 1L of water.

ryanwuusa

Thanks all for your thoughts!

Just want to make a few points…

I am not using Apple Music or dealing with Apple’s music format or codec. My sources are Qobuz and high res files saved on the NAS, which are played back by Roon and Roon ARC (when I am not home). All files I played back are AIFF, WAV, and DSD.
These lossless files/signals get compressed by Bluetooth when they are transmitted out directly from iPhone, totally understood what the big brother Apple is doing and I can’t fight it. The only way to work around it is to have a USB-C dongle that takes “bit perfect” signal from iPhone, bypass the Apple BT protocol, and do the magic after that. Also understand that not all USB dongles can get “bit perfect” signal. In my case here, Questyle QCC Dongle Pro is capable of taking bit perfect signal out of iPhone (from Roon ARC) and then transmit it via Qualcomm Aptx (HD, lossless, and Adaptive) and LDAC. Roon provides signal path info and can prove what I say here to some extent. One may say Questyle is not legit or reliable; however, they made this product specifically for iPhone users who want to enjoy lossless quality via BT and more importantly this device is “MFi certified” by Apple itself. It is officially approved by Apple for its purposes.
The other evidence I saw is, the dongle is able to transmit lossless signal via Qualcomm Aptx and Aptx HD to my B&W Pi5 (support only up to Aptx) and Dali IO-4 (support up to Aptx HD), and I can see it in the Questyle app and more importantly I can hear the SQ differences. If Apple controls everything in the iPhone, there is no way this dongle can transmit Aptx codec to the other earbuds/headphines. This tells me that non-AAC lossless signal can come out from iPhone as long as I have all software (Roon in my case) and hardware (Questyle dongle) needed. B&W Pi5 is older and has very limited app control while Dali IO-4 has no app control. All these tell me that as long as Nothing gives me an option to activate LDAC on Ear 3, it will work fine with my current setup.
Questyle is not the first one for this attempt. When B&W introduced its flagship Pi8 earbuds either late last year or early this year, its charging case can function as a BT transmitter when connected to iPhone via USB. I bought one and it worked perfectly. I returned it only because B&W Pi8 have terrible talk quality, which was super disappointing for the high price tag. Another new comer is B&O’s Beo Grace flagship earbuds ($1,500). It’s charging case can function the same using LC3 codec. These audiophile brands see the nitch demand from some iPhone users and invested in this workaround. Interestingly, these two products are not MFi certified by Apple, but they work as designed.

I understand what I ask here only represent very few, and Nothing may not even care. At this point I am not hopeful and will probably just return it. I haven’t done that only because Ear 3’a talk quality with the super mic is unbeatable (I take subway daily and no earbuds can allow me talk on subway except for Ear 3). For SQ, it is not even on par with the old B&W Pi5. Thanks.

code913

ryanwuusa Enable LDAC by connecting to someone’s android device or usibg ear web (https://earweb.bttl.xyz ). Then switch back to iphone and check if the sound quality is better. Nothing X will still not show it enabled

ryanwuusa

code913

We are on the same page. I went to my friend’s tonight and borrowed his Android phone, installed Nothing app, enabled LDAC on my Ear 3, reconnected Ear 3 with the Questyle dongle that is connected to my iPhone, and the Ear 3 was immediately recognized as a LDAC device. SQ was so much better than using SBC codec. Although the Nothing app on my iPhone still doesn’t show it, I could confirm LDAC via the Questyle app and confirm lossless via Roon ARC. The only downside is if LDAC drains battery fast, I can’t turn it off easily. For this, I still hope Nothing team will see this post one day and give the option back to iPhone. Anyway, problem solved! Thanks.

code913

ryanwuusa You’re welcome! If you have another phone or laptop you can use the ear web site to make changes too