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ZDNET's key takeaways
Microsoft's new Bluetooth standard will improve audio quality.
The new standard is designed for online games and virtual meeting apps.
You can chat via a Bluetooth headset with no drop in sound quality.
Here's a question for those of you who enjoy online multiplayer games: Have you ever tried chatting with a fellow gamer via your Bluetooth headset, only for the sound from the game to become muffled and garbled? That's a common audio problem not just with online games, but with virtual meeting apps like Microsoft Teams.
Well, now Microsoft has devised a remedy that replaces an older flavor of Bluetooth with a new and improved version.
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In a Tuesday blog post, Microsoft unveiled details on a new Bluetooth streaming tech known as LE (Low Energy) Audio. Created for Windows 11, the new version lets you listen to audio in high quality at the same time you're using your microphone. This means that chatting with someone either during a game or a virtual meeting won't hurt the sound you hear from your headset.
How does Bluetooth LE Audio work?
The dip in sound quality with the older classic version of Bluetooth occurs because of limitations with its two operating profiles. The Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) serves up high-quality audio but doesn't let you use the microphone. The Hands-Free Profile (HFP) lets you use the microphone but plays audio in mono instead of stereo, and with lower quality and fidelity. Without stereo audio, you're unable to hear the spatial audio effects offered in games, movies, music, and virtual meeting apps like Teams.
Using the existing Bluetooth Low Energy specification, Microsoft's new LE Audio is a more modern standard that replaces both A2DP and HFP with a single profile for audio playback and voice. Specifically, LE Audio uses the Telephony and Media Profile (TMAP) for headphones and earbuds and the Hearing Access Profile (HAP) for hearing aids and cochlear implants. Further, LE Audio's superior audio compression provides higher-quality sound through super wideband stereo.
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To help you hear the difference between the older classic version of Bluetooth and the newer LE Audio, Microsoft's blog post includes a video clip of someone playing Forza Horizon 5. To check it out, put on a Bluetooth headset and play the clip.
"When using an LE Audio device with a Windows 11 PC that supports super wideband stereo, the switch into game chat no longer causes an abrupt drop in audio quality," Microsoft said. "In the Forza Horizon 5 example..., the game audio will now stay in stereo and stream at super wideband quality, which is a significant improvement over Bluetooth Classic."
Those of you who may not game online but use apps like Microsoft Teams will also be able to hear the difference. Previously available just for wired headsets, the Spatial Audio feature in Teams will now work with wireless Bluetooth headsets. This means that the voice of each person speaking will appear to come from their video image on the screen. To try this out, put on a Bluetooth headset during a Teams meeting, head to the audio settings screen, and turn on the switch for Spatial Audio.
How to experience better audio
You'll need a Bluetooth headset, earbuds, or assistive hearing device that supports Bluetooth LE Audio, as well as a Windows 11 PC that also supports LE Audio. A variety of new PCs and Bluetooth devices support LE Audio, but not all computers that support Bluetooth LE technology also support LE Audio, according to Microsoft. Yep, that means this is all still evolving.
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Further, you'll also need Windows 11 24H2 with the newest updates installed and the latest Bluetooth audio driver from your PC maker. Later this year, some existing PCs will get driver updates from the manufacturer, while laptops that roll out in late 2025 should include the necessary support right off the bat.