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Bluetooth headphones
I have really good noise cancelling headphones that connects via Bluetooth but I’ve read somewhere that it isn’t good to use Bluetooth headphones for music making but I don’t know why
At the moment I’m borrowing cable headphones from my partner and of course I can buy my own but before I pay for something I would like to know if I couldn’t just use my good Bluetooth headphones and save the money
I hope this isn’t a stupid question and I’m not asking too much on the forum
Comments
Bluetooth audio (not midi) tends to introduce significant latency which is a problem for real-time music making. That is the reason they are generally not recommended for music making.
Ahhh That’s interesting to know because I have a midi Keyboard (Akai LPK25 ) which works without any latency and I thought Bluetooth audio would be the same but apparently not
Bluetooth MIDI transmits directly as-is -- because it is low bandwidth information it doesn't need data compression. Bluetooth Audio is high bandwidth and involves data compression (depending on the headphones it can be lossy or non-lossy) which involves compressing the data, sending it then decompressing it. The compression and decompression both take time which is what introduces latency. There are some situations where the latency can be reduced or eliminated if the device and headphones both use the same format for the native buffering -- I don't know if there are any Bluetooth headphones where that is true under iOS.
This is pretty accurate (what Espiegel123 said). As long as the transmitter and receiver work on the same codec, the compression is not performed or performed quicker. iOS works off AAC, which is why the latency in apple Bluetooth headphones is less than others. If it can use AAC, it switches to the generic SBS encoder.
. Same headphones anddongle can handle other AptX and SBS. Any other AptX codec is puts the latency ~20ms, and SBS well over that .
I use a USB AptX dongle and headphones. When using AptXLL, it's barely noticeable. ~5ms (one way) with an amazing (/s) range of about 10m
I use the AptXLL all day long, but still never live.
Edit: it's always fun to see people like "yo...try out these headphones..,these are the best Bluetooth headphones I've ever used. Expensive..like 500", and when you look them up, they don't do AAC. 500$ for the absolute worst possible codec, the same one that's in 15$ Amazon speakers...
Thank you very much for the information
So now I will definitely get some good cabled headphones
I do the same. If i'm just on the couch doing arranging and the tedious stuff, bluetooth is fine. Really I can record and perform using the AptXLL no issues. Any other codec is a no go for performance.
I have a set of over the ear headphones that have both bluetooth and wired. I never use them because they're uncomfortable, but I do like the flexibility.
Welcome to the forum @amethystswitch. Don't be afraid to ask questions - that's what this place is for!
These AIAIAI headphones are wireless as well as Bluetooth, enabling low latency music making. Expensive, but there’s nothing directly comparable for musicians.
The transmitter has a battery built in and plugs into your source via a 3.5mm jack, but that’s just for wireless, Bluetooth works just the same as other Bluetooth headphones (you select the mode by a switch).
https://www.thomann.de/gb/aiaiai_tma_2_studio_wireless.htm?glp=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo-zayb-j-AIVnIBQBh37fwIOEAQYByABEgI3UfD_BwE
Ha! The day I spend $300 to avoid plugging in a cable to a device I already have in my hands is the day I have way too much money on my hands.
I wouldnt have bothered testing aptXLL if I had to pay retail, but the pricing was more than right. I was eyeing them up anyway, and they can be used with a cables as well.
I’ve gotten good results using Powerbeats Pro and AirPods Pro on my iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro (M1). The latency isn’t that bad even when I’m playing touch instruments.
BTW, if there is a possibility of having pets chew cables, wired/wireless dual-use headphones might be an option. (Another advantage is the possibility to change the cable length without DIY. However, my opinion does not take into account latency or sound quality.)
The main reason I don’t use Bluetooth devices for making music or gaming is latency. It’s more significant in cheaper devices and shorter in the more expensive ones, but it’s still there. Always. The Bluetooth connection still didn’t learn to transmit the signal as fast as the wires could.
That’s why I don’t use Bluetooth connection when I need instant sound. I still own Bluetooth headphones but use them for sports or listening to music only. You might also find ones like https://productz.com/en/steelseries-arctis-3-2019-edition/p/lEWo2 that are wired and wireless at the same time. You would just connect the wire when you need a lossless connection.
One would have to get rid of audio compression over Bluetooth. As this has been discussed since many years, it seems to me that it's more likely for Apple to bring back the headphones port than for Bluetooth to support linear pcm audio transmission anytime soon - also because Bluetooth is optimized for low power consumption and large RF bandwidth eats lots of power 😉
Thank you for all your suggestions
I have decided to keep the Orba as Bluetooth device and because of how it controls the sound
But also I will buy the Launchkey for more functionality with much morebuttons than my akai keyboard
@amethystswitch
Hi. I think you may be confusing your other thread with this one.
https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/52444/bluetooth-midi-controllers-with-additional-functions
Thank you very much I was a bit tired last night
I always think it’s worth noting that depending on what kind of music you’re making, bluetooth can be a viable option for most of the time.
I make electronic music and the only time I need wired is when I’m recording some real time playing. Even then, I find simple basslines and stuff playable with bluetooth, as your brain sort of compensates for the latency.
So, only when I’m playing and recording complicated stuff, do I need wired, apart from in the latter stages of mixing and mastering, where you need the best quality you can get.
So probably 97% of the time I’m making music, Bluetooth is just fine 👍
They probably came with a cable - just use that, and bingo, no latency.
Oh you mean besides latency is there audio loss? Well I mean that’s why they have wired option to reduce latency and to preserve audio. They also now have usb c lossless audio so you don’t lose any audio at all (partly why I liked the Beats Studio pro). But 3.5mm wired should be fine .
If your fine with the sound of your headphones just wire it up (and if you can and your cans are supported , get tb morphit for pitch correction, I found it worked very nicely)
Two yrs old
16ms when using analog RF transmission, not Bluetooth.
My cheap Sony RF headphones are faster.
Welcome back to using iDevices with headphones jacks 😄