Proprietary aptX codec removed from official LOS 16.0

[The_Little_Death]

So even it is possible to make a phone better and give it new features. It is not allowed.

[chrmhoffmann]

Fairphone did not pay the license for this apparently. So …

Chris

[Drezil]

@chrmhoffmann

AptX - actually I had to remove it from FP2. Original fairphone does not have it, so I am not allowed to ship it.

So… how can i patch my phone after-the fact?
Or do i have to compile manually? … I was hoping for just dumping an .so-file somewhere to make it just work … but i guess it is not that easy?

[JeroenH]

@Drezil

So… how can i patch my phone after-the fact?
Or do i have to compile manually? … I was hoping for just dumping an .so-file somewhere to make it just work … but i guess it is not that easy?

AFAIK its proprietary. You can easily find it, e.g. on XDA, and just flash that. I’ve confirmed it works (I didn’t even know a license was required until @chrmhoffmann mentioned it). My headphones support just AAC though.

@Singulus

A dumb question I guess…

there’s no such thing, thanks for asking

[The_Little_Death]

So it is possible to flash just this function? But I have to flash it again after every update?
I got LOS with a step-by-step manual. I think getting and flashing AptX would not be so easy for me. If I want it.

[taurui]

For a much earlier build, I could get AptX working with

Useful hint: Adding aptX support for your FP2 on LOS

Hi everyone, I just installed the aptX codec from and it works perfectly. Maybe some other people can confirm this working - and also, maybe, this can be merged into the official builds? -taurui

But I have no idea if this still works for LOS 16. Maybe you can try? I haven’t installed LOS 16 yet

[The_Little_Death]

[Port][Magisk] AptX & AptX-HD for All Oreo 8.0+ (Update Jan 6th 2018)

Maybe this can help? It looks a bit like it can also run under pie.

With the normal LOS 16.0 I have the codec in the developer option. But I can’t choose anything it is stuck on system standard.

[teh_flame]

For me, the developer option “bluetooth-audio-codec” says “system standard” until I actually connect a device.
Then it shows “AAC” or “SBC”, depending on what I choose. All other choices (“aptX”) seem to be accepted at first, but are reset if I leave and enter developer options again.

I flashed the file labled “aptX.zip (144.8 KB, 36944 views)” from here https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/themes/mod-aptx-codec-t3521228 but it did not change the behaviour. Did I use the wrong .zip? Are there additional steps required after installing the .zip?

[The_Little_Death]

I used the APTX-enabler.zip from my posting above. When I’m connected to my headphones, then I can change the codec in the developer options to Aptx. But I don’t know if that means it is really supported.

I will take a closer look at this after todays LOS update. I hope the update overwrites the enabled Aptx and I will see it in the developer options when I can’t choose it.

It is normal that closing the developer options sets back the codec. The optios are only to choose it temporary to try something. Not to change everything forever. I have read if the phone can use Aptx and the headphones or whatever you use do support it too. Then the codec you see in the developer options is Aptx.

Maybe @chrmhoffmann can put the right stuff in an extra zip file for twrp? Then the official LOS file dosen’t has Aptx. But if somebody want to try it, he can flash the zip file.

[chrmhoffmann]

Try the aptx-oreo one. Looks like this zip should even survive an update with lineage updater as it has the add on script. But I have not tested it myself yet.

Chris

[The_Little_Death]

I used it before the update and after the update I used a headphone that has not Aptx and I can still see and choose Aptx in the developer options. Maybe that means I have Aptx. The phone uses another codec as a standard because the headphones can’t use aptx as the standard codec. But Aptx is working when you choose it. I don’t have the technical knowledge to understand it completly. It is only how I think it could be.

[teh_flame]

Wow, I think it worked! To reiterate:

• With default LineageOS 16.0 I already saw aptX-Audio in the codec settings
• However, selecting it made no difference in sound and was reset after leaving the developer options
• From https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/themes/mod-aptx-codec-t3521228 I first tried “aptX.zip”, which did not change anything
• Then I flashed “aptX-oreo.zip” from the same forum post
• After connecting my bluetooth earphones, “aptX-Audio” was already selected!
• Now switching between “SBC”, “AAC” and “aptX” makes a difference in sound. To be honest, I have a hard time figuring out if aptX actually sounds that much better… SBC seems louder, AAC softer, and maybe aptX is better balanced in the middle…
• Also, this developer setting is in fact persistent
• Thus it seems like aptX is now working. Hurray!

[The_Little_Death]

Do you use headphones that support aptX?

[Roboe]

@The_Little_Death

So even it is possible to make a phone better and give it new features. It is not allowed.

@JeroenH

AFAIK its proprietary.

Yes, it is. And that’s the reason why anyone cannot add it to a phone whose manufacturer has not payed for it. Even if it works and makes your already-bought device better. That’s because of the industrial-shaped Intellectual Property rights and the consumism-tailored product design.

If you are against this greedy, absurd thing —and you care about technology, culture and the planet—, you should probably avoid using the proprietary aptX™ codec altogether and promote open and royalty-free codecs instead. And be aware that you are in fact breaking the law when you sideload it to your FP2.