Which Bluetooth Stack supports APT-X on Windows 7

Old Google Answers Thread:

Some devices can establish many connections at the same time with other devices (like your computer connected to a mobile phone modem, a bluetooth headset, and to another computer - the usb dongle is conected with 3 different devices at the same time). Other devices can only handle one connection at a time. But you can have as many different devices paired (your device "remembers" other devices it has "met") as many persons you can meet - or let's just say, unlimited,

It is quite possible that both just happen to have this limitation. Try going to Best Buy and buy-then-return the most expensive and high-end bluetooth dongle there. If the problem disappears, it's' your bluetooth devices. If not, you can follow another lead or you can take the time-is-money diehard purist approach and buy yourself an RF mouse.

Your music is likely going through several transformations:

1. Digital music file
2. Converted to analog sound wave (music player on laptop)
3. Converted back to digital signal (Bluetooth encoder)
4. Converted back to analog sound wave (Bluetooth decoder)
5. Turned into physical sound waves (Headset/speaker system)

The YMB is performing step #4. Each step introduces audio quality degradation.

For maximum audio quality, some Bluetooth A2DP receivers understand more codecs besides the single, required SBC codec. This can eliminate steps 2 and 3.

Also my guess is the Bluetooth SBC codec does not have the best audio quality. Ideally, the audio codec used should be lossless, but even lossy codecs like MP3 can sound acceptable. I am not sure if any Bluetooth products that support lossless audio have been released.

Finally, the other stages of the list above must all understand the Bluetooth protocol properly (music player, bluetooth encoder).

So, to answer your question: find a Bluetooth receiver that understands a better codec than SBC (ideally lossless). Make sure the rest of your Bluetooth "stack" also understands the same, better codecs.

More info: Advanced Audio Distribution Profile#Support of Codecs

Update: As I said, a lossless Bluetooth audio solution may not be availalbe (I've found a lot of announcements, but no actual products) but it may also be overkill unless you're a serious audiophile. Simply using a non-SBC codec may be enough, but few products are marketed with those technical details.

You may get a lot of returns simply by ensuring that your YMB and A2DP source are using a non-SBC codec. (The (software) Bluetooth encoder on your laptop may simply not support the proper codec. I'd check into this, since you said your other sources sounded acceptable. Your results may vary with the type of audio file you are playing!)

Also, I considered alternatives to Bluetooth A2DP like wireless audio via 802.11. One such solution is the Apple Airport Express with Airtunes. (Plus software for non-iTunes/Apple applications.)