Bluetooth SIG announces Bluetooth HDT to standardise lossless wireless audio

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the standards organisation that oversees Bluetooth technology, has announced the adoption of Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT) as an optional feature of Bluetooth Core 7.0. The new technology raises Bluetooth LE's maximum supported bit rate from 2 Mbps to 7.5 Mbps, nearly four times the current maximum, to provide a standardised foundation for lossless and high-resolution wireless audio.

Technical changes and audio capabilities

Bluetooth HDT increases the amount of data that Bluetooth LE can carry at once by introducing a new physical layer (PHY) to the part of the Bluetooth chip responsible for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, paired with modulation techniques. According to the Bluetooth SIG, premium wireless audio will serve as the "flagship application" for the new standard, supporting lossless and high-resolution audio as well as surround sound and spatial audio in future wireless earbuds and headphones.

While some current products already offer high-resolution and lossless audio, they are limited to proprietary technologies such as Qualcomm's aptX Lossless and Sony's LDAC codec. Bluetooth HDT aims to provide a broader standard across multiple sectors. "As the world's most widely used wireless standard, Bluetooth technology has continually evolved to meet the growing demands of an increasingly connected world," Neville Meijers, CEO of the Bluetooth SIG, said in a statement to AppleInsider. "The Bluetooth SIG member community has once again risen to the challenge. Bluetooth HDT brings a new level of performance to Bluetooth technology, expanding the role it can play across consumer, commercial, and industrial markets and creating a powerful foundation for the next generation of wireless innovation."

Energy efficiency and connection reliability

Beyond higher audio quality, moving more data in less time allows devices to use energy more efficiently and may also reduce audio latency. The standards organisation noted that the technology also improves connection reliability for connected devices beyond headphones, including wearables, smart glasses, and smart home technology. According to the Bluetooth SIG, "Bluetooth HDT improves communication robustness and resilience, helping devices maintain more consistent wireless performance across a broader and more demanding range of operating environments."

Hardware requirements and manufacturer adoption

Because Bluetooth HDT requires new processors and hardware implementation, existing devices will not gain support through a software update. Furthermore, as an optional part of Bluetooth Core 7.0, no company is required to adopt it, and the extra hardware cost for manufacturers could mean it takes time for companies to implement it. While Apple has not publicly commented on adopting Bluetooth HDT, the Bluetooth SIG told local journalists, according to Japanese news site AV Watch, that it is confident the standard will be adopted. "[The decision] is left to each company," Bluetooth SIG chief marketing officer Ken Kolderup said in translation. "However, our current feeling is that [Apple's] interest is very high, because Apple executives are participating and we are currently discussing the standard."

What happens next

The Bluetooth SIG did not specify which phones or earbuds will first support the technology, but it expects the first compatible audio products to appear in 2027. Ahead of the arrival of compatible earbuds and headphones, Qualcomm's newest connectivity system, the FastConnect 8800, is already advertised with Bluetooth 7 support and HDT capabilities for smartphone hardware.

Sources: Android Authority, AppleInsider

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