Bluetooth 5 specs adopted, still not optimized for better audio

Bluetooth 5 will be faster and farther-reaching, but will not receive a huge audio output boost.  Image INQUIRER.net Stock Photo

Bluetooth is about to get faster and more useful than ever with the release of Bluetooth 5’s specifications. Unfortunately, audio performance will only get a minimal boost with the upgrade.

The Special Interest Group for the wireless standard has officially adopted the Bluetooth 5 specifications that would greatly impact the performance of wireless connectivity for smartphones, wearables and smart home equipment, reports Engadget.

However, devices equipped with the new standard are not expected to surface until after two to six months, which is also timely for the release of new smartphones.

The focus for this update has been on raw performance—four times the range, eight times the amount of data transmitted and twice the speed of Bluetooth 4.2.

Unfortunately, this new format will see little improvements in audio compression, power use and latency. Needless to say, Bluetooth headphones will continue to struggle for acceptance over wired audio equipment.

The Bluetooth 5 update is primarily meant to get Bluetooth connectivity “up to speed” with modern wireless standards. Once this groundwork has been laid out, improving audio quality can proceed and manufacturers may finally stop taking potshots at Apple’s decision to drop the headphone jack.  Alfred Bayle