I keep wired headphones in my bag just for the moments when I actually care how a song sounds. That says a lot about how I feel about Bluetooth audio. Wireless trades sound quality for convenience, but Bluetooth might finally fix that.
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has formally announced Bluetooth High Data Throughput (HDT). It is a new optional feature that lets Bluetooth carry far more data than before, which could translate into better wireless audio (via Bluetooth SIG).
Will HDT make my music, podcasts, and movies sound better?
Let’s start with the basics first. Bluetooth LE (Low Energy, the power-saving standard) currently tops out at 2 Mbps. However, HDT, the optional piece of Bluetooth Core 7.0, increases that to 7.5 Mbps (using a new radio communication method).
While I usually ignore changes like these, that is nearly four times the data. The songs you listen to, regardless of genre, will get more bandwidth to deliver richer audio detail, opening the door to high-resolution and lossless audio.
Yes, some earbuds already offer lossless or high-resolution as a feature, but they mostly rely on proprietary manufacturer codecs that only work between select devices. That’s where HDT comes in: a globally standardized foundation that enables better audio quality across more devices (the ones that comply with the standard).
I’d call that the upgrade audiophiles have been begging for. Movies should benefit from the higher broadcast bandwidth, as it should help with multi-channel surround sound and spatial audio.
Will it help my battery, and when can I try it?
Because HDT moves more data in less time, the radio can stop transmitting and rest sooner than it could before. As a result, compliant devices should use less battery to transmit the same amount of data, improving battery life.
While that sounds great, the announcement doesn’t include any specific battery-life number, something that I want to see before I invest my money into a new Bluetooth Core 7.0 earbuds that support HDT.
Beyond audio, the SIG pitches faster smartwatch syncing, lighter smart glasses and AI gadgets that offload work to your phone, VR and AR headsets, industrial monitoring and smart home gadgets, which tells me this is bigger than headphones.
Given that it’s a newly devised standard, I’d expect compliant devices to arrive in 2027. What I don’t like, however, is that HDT remains optional. So each brand can decide whether to include it.
