It will take until 2025 for Microsoft to finally address Bluetooth audio on PCs running Windows 11. Future versions of the operating system will enable Bluetooth LE Audio with Super Wideband stereo voice.
Now, Microsoft aims to maintain optimal audio quality while the microphone is active during a voice chat, Teams call, or on Discord. Until now, Windows 11 switched between A2DP (adequate audio, no mic) and HFP (mic active but muffled audio).
Wireless headphones and earbuds will sound better with Windows 11
So, what changes will this update bring to Windows 11, currently facing a bug that causes some SSDs to disappear? Bluetooth LE Audio replaces traditional profiles with a modern architecture, utilizing the LC3 codec and isochronous transport. Under Windows 11, voice will operate at a 32 kHz sampling rate with an effective bandwidth of around 16 kHz. The result: a more natural tone, clearer consonants, and less of a walkie-talkie effect. Importantly, switching to microphone mode no longer interrupts the stereo sound or degrades audio quality as it did with HFP.
Microsoft specifies that Teams can enable spatial audio on compatible Bluetooth headsets and that Super Wideband stereo remains active during discussions. However, to use this technology, you must at least have Windows 11 version 24H2, while version 25H2 is currently in preparation, a computer with Bluetooth radio and drivers that support LE Audio, and a compatible headset. Microsoft mentions that driver updates will roll out later in 2025 for some existing devices. Good news for those planning to buy a laptop: models released from the end of 2025 will offer this enhancement natively.
Among the advantages, voice chat maintains stereo sound and excellent intelligibility even in gaming. In a professional context, Teams leverages this technology and spatial audio without requiring a wired headset. On the standards front, LE Audio offers LC3, unicast and broadcast streaming, multi-connection capabilities, and a suite of modern profiles like BAP and CAP. LC3 is more efficient than SBC or mSBC at equal bitrates, providing superior quality and better robustness against losses.
For years, Windows 11 users, already criticized for being slower than Windows 10 for a specific reason, observed that audio quality declined when the Bluetooth microphone was activated. This was not merely a “Microsoft bug” but a limitation of traditional profiles. The integration of LE Audio in the system eliminates this disadvantage.
Source: Microsoft
