Bluetooth headset call quality versus wired headsets

Kaiw · Apr 21, 2015

In the past I've been disappointed by wireless headsets. I once used a USB wireless headset (h800) to make calls through Skype on my PC. Call quality severely dropped even though I was close to the computer. Going back to a wired USB headset fixed the problem instantly.

I'm concerned I'll have the same issue with bluetooth on my android phone. Has anyone noticed even the slightest slippage in quality when going wireless via Bluetooth?

mikedt · Apr 21, 2015

The audio quality is lower with Bluetooth as opposed to using wired. Especially when using wideband audio calling, sometimes called "HD voice", and VOIP services like Skype . BT headset profile is telephony bandwidth, 300 Hz to 3.4 kHz 8bit, as opposed to wideband audio, 50 Hz to 7 kHz or higher at 16bit quantization.

BT range for headsets is supposed to be 10 meters line-of-sight, but any obstructions can reduce that drastically. It just doesn't go through the steel reinforced concrete walls in our apartment at all. Even WiFi, we've had to put a repeater in the other rooms because of the attenuation by walls, and it's only a small two bedroom single floor apartment.

Kaiw · Apr 22, 2015

thanks for that information. It sounds like you're talking about minor quality degradation. In my experience with a Wi-Fi headset with my computer, the audio quality was so bad it was inaudible. Have you had any issues like this?

mikedt · Apr 22, 2015

WiFi headsets I've never tried. With Bluetooth, there's two profiles for audio. One is the headset profile, which is two way and intended for telephony, is telephone bandwidth and is mono. Play music through that, it sounds absolutely horrible. If you're using wide bandwidth like HD voice or high quality VOIP like Skype. BT quality can be acceptable, but it does sound like you're talking on a telephone. It's difficult to hear sibilant sounds like "Ss", as opposed to high quality with a wired headset. I sometimes teach English via HQ VOIP, Skype and QQ, and being able to hear clearly what the teacher and student are saying is very important, so wired it has to be.

This is what regular BT clip on one ear headsets use. But then there's a stereo high quality profile, known as "A2DP", is only one way, but is intended for playing music to speakers, stereo headsets, car systems etc. In fact most devices and systems that are stereo Bluetooth, also have the telephony headset profile as well, for doing phone calls.

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Bluetooth headset call quality versus wired headsets

Kaiw

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