WH-1000XM3 + Iphone 11 Pro - Poor sound quality

[aliaskattegat]

Hi, 

I just purchased the XM3 and the sound quality is just very poor compared to when connected with cable to my PC. 

- Sound is very flat and muffled 

- No 8D/Stereo/360 Sound is playing on my iPhone. 

- - Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ooPGEiXkg

- - When played via cable on pc the sound "comes in from all angles"

- - When played via Bluetooth on my iPhone it is totally flat/dead. 

Same experience on the recommended Sony 360 Reality audio (from several sources). 

Flat and dead sound quality via Iphone. 

Something is definitely lost here.. Anyone knows whats going on? 

Hoping for some help as I mainly use Iphone + Bluetooth. 

IOS 14.2 

Iphone 11 Pro 

Sony WH-1000XM3 (new nov 2020) 

Rgds.

- 

I have been trying for hours to find out what is wrong. 

[Lord_viridis]

Could it be the Audio Bluetooth codec used by Apple.  My understanding is that they are very limited in what codecs are on iPhones

[aliaskattegat]

Yes I belive the problem has something to do with the Bluetooth codec. But, a friend who has an iPhone and a Marshall headset got this 8D effect so I think it is not solely on Apple side this problem.. Overall the soundquality is very bad on iPhone compared to PC - I do belive it is not intended to be like this. 

[aliaskattegat]

I read in another forum that certain PC's either registered the headset either as a "communication device" or a "sound output device" In the first category you could use the mic and have conversations, but with lower sound quality for music, if the pc picked up the headset in the latter category you got full music quality but no mic. 

I am thinking this is perhaps what happens with the iPhone? One theory at least. 

[aliaskattegat]

So I found it has something to do with the Bluetooth codec: AAC is the codec used between iPhone and XM3 - but doesn’t this codec support surround sound? https://darko.audio/2019/03/tangled-up-in-bluetooth-ldac-aptx-and-aac/

[Sonyvores]

That's normal you're using a very poor audio source to start with... Iphone AAC through bluetooth is just slightly better than MP3 ^^

[aliaskattegat · Accepted solution]

I am no audiophile and you are probably correct. However; I did find the problem/solution and can now enjoy extremely much better sound quality than what was the case when I posted this issue - In my ears it is great, especially with Deezer HiFi streaming: 

 I had to hit "reset all settings" on my Iphone - Now I got full surround and 360 audio via Bluetooth on my Iphone