- Microsoft is improving sound quality for Bluetooth headphones
- This will allow for high-quality audio in Windows 11 while using a mic, benefiting gamers who often use in-game chat with a headset
- The PC and headphones will need to support Bluetooth LE Audio, though, and be running the latest version of Windows 11
Microsoft has announced that it’s giving a major boost to the sound quality of Bluetooth headphones in Windows 11.
As Microsoft explains in a blog post (highlighted by Neowin), it’s replacing the current way of facilitating wireless headphones, Bluetooth Classic Audio, with Bluetooth LE Audio in Windows 11. (The notable caveat being that you’ll need hardware that supports the latter – and I’ll come back to that).
Bluetooth Classic Audio is a rather clunky beast in that it has two modes of operation, neither of which offers a full solution for sound and the mic. With the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), you get full-quality audio, but there’s no ability to use a microphone, which could be an issue if, say, you’re gaming and want to use the headset’s mic for in-game chat.
The alternative Hands-Free Profile (HFP) gives you support for the mic, but at a cost, namely lower audio quality. In fact, you don’t get stereo with HFP, just mono audio played back in both ears. That has serious limitations in terms of not just poor sound quality – Microsoft compares it to listening to AM radio, versus CD quality with A2DP – but there’s a lack of spatial effects too (which require stereo for their virtual positioning).
Bluetooth LE Audio solves these issues in one fell swoop, offering the same CD-quality audio as A2DP, but also allowing for the use of the mic at the same time. Indeed, this new way of working in Windows 11 offers ‘super wideband’ audio with a 32kHz sample rate, meaning even better voice quality.
Analysis: it’s about time, frankly
This is a welcome boost on the audio front, although in reality, it’s more about making Bluetooth work properly – as it should – rather than a big step forward for Windows 11. Not having stereo playback if you want to use the mic is a huge downer, but sadly, this is the case for most people on Windows 11 right now.
What do you need to benefit from this new tech, then?
As already mentioned, your wireless headphones must support Bluetooth LE Audio, and your Windows 11 PC will also need to support LE Audio, too. Note that it’s not enough for your PC to support Bluetooth LE, but specifically, you’ll need LE Audio. Microsoft explains how to check if your Windows 11 device has this feature in a support document here.
If you have LE Audio – supported by your headphones, as well as a PC – you’ll also have to be running Windows 11 24H2 updated to the latest version (the August update).
On top of this, you’ll need a Bluetooth audio driver carrying support – and Microsoft notes that later this year, “some existing PC models will receive driver updates from the manufacturer to support the feature”. So, you may have to be patient for a little while yet.
Microsoft also tells us that most new laptops being released late in 2025 should have this support baked in and be good-to-go from the off with this improved Bluetooth sound.
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