[SOLVED] aptX support for the Note 3 (US/European/Korean version confirmed)

[Cavcalade]

UPDATE January 7th: Posted the log which confirms the presence of aptX

UPDATE October 16th: AptX confirmed. I tried it with my bluetooth headphones (Harman Kardon BT). It connects via aptX(LED flashing four times)

UPDATE October 5th: According to a recent live chat, the US and European version do support aptX. The Korean version has it printed on the back of the box.


I just had a customer chat with Samsung US. Here's the transcript.

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Samsung: Hi, thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support. How may I help you today?

Visitor: Hi, I'm currently using the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and I would like to preorder the new Galaxy Note 3 but I need the bluetooth protocol aptX that the Galaxy S4 supports. Do you know if the Note 3 also supports aptX?

Samsung: I understand your concern.

Samsung: I'll be glad to assist you.

Samsung: May I place you on hold for 3 minutes, while I gather the information on your request?

Visitor: Sure. Thank you very much.

Samsung: Thank you.

Samsung: Thank you for being on hold.

Samsung: I have checked with the information and I would like to inform you that (aptX) bluetooth profile is not supported by Note3 device.

Visitor: Ok. Thank you very much for helping me out.

Wonder who had the great idea to remove aptX... .

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Log:

D/CODEC_IF( 2864): codec_if_open: opening libbt-codec_aptx.so...

D/CODEC_IF_MOD( 2864): codec_open: codec_open

D/CODEC_IF_MOD( 2864): codec_open: apt-x encoder initialized successfully

D/CODEC_IF_MOD( 2864): codec_open: version : 1.0.1.0

D/CODEC_IF_MOD( 2864): codec_open: build : AND2.3-000

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UPDATE October 5th: According to a recent live chat the US and European version do support aptX. The Korean version has it printed on the back of the box.

UPDATE October 16th: AptX confirmed. I tried it with my bluetooth headphones (Harman Kardon BT). It connects via aptX(LED flashing four times)

UPDATE January 7th: Posted the log which confirms the presence of aptX

 

[OdieS]

The unboxing videos show that apt-X is specifically mentioned on the back of the Note 3 box, so I suspect the Samsung rep is incorrect.

 

[Cavcalade]

The unboxing videos show that apt-X is specifically mentioned on the back of the Note 3 box, so I suspect the Samsung rep is incorrect.

If this is correct I will pull my thread immediately.

But I could not see any aptX on the back of the box in this unboxing video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxf3btdm0C4 After 11 seconds he shows the back.

 

[OdieS]

I'm sure I've seen a video with the apt-X logo on the back, will try to find it again.

 

[uvaman]

Ask Supercurio he might know the answer...

 

[Mackovich]

What's the use of this "aptX" ? I never heard about it ! ^^

 

[Cavcalade]

What's the use of this "aptX" ? I never heard about it ! ^^

AptX is a bluetooth protocol. It's an audio codec. . Standard aptX goes up to a bitrate of 352kbps. Best mp3's only have a bitrate of up to 320 kbps, so the remaining 32 kbps don't really matter.

There are some other versions of aptX such as aptX lossless with the capability of much higher data rates.

The advantage of aptX is its convenience. Adapter attached to the sound system, switch bluetooth on on your aptX device and connect it. Done. Now you can listen to your mp3 collection without any further losses in quality.

For guys who like to listen to lossless music it's not the right choice of course.

But you cannot hear the difference between a 320kbps mp3 and a let's say 800 or 1000 kbps flac anyways. If you don't believe me do a blind test with foobar and if you are one of the fortunate few, who actually are able to hear the difference, well congrats.

 

[@rbiter]

If the recording is exceptional I can take that challenge.

 

[Cavcalade]

If the recording is exceptional I can take that challenge.

Ok, if you have a great recording maybe you can hear the difference when you really focus on the recording. But where's the joy in that?

 

[@rbiter]

Well, try it yourself. Get a QUALITY 96/24 or 192/24 or heck even a quality 48/16 file and encode it to FLAC or mp3 on your own. I have a bunch of classical, flaming lips, Gabriel, king crimson etc recordings and the difference is night and day on a capable system or with some good cans. Not everyone can appreciate and many more will care less because they've never heard the difference. You'd be amazed at differences that can be heard playing a movie at reference level and what ever is considered loud in your household. I myself rarely get to enjoy movies at that level. Mp3 and aac needs to die already. Recording artists are partly to blame for this.

 

[Cavcalade]

Well, try it yourself. Get a QUALITY 96/24 or 192/24 or heck even a quality 48/16 file and encode it to FLAC or mp3 on your own. I have a bunch of classical, flaming lips, Gabriel, king crimson etc recordings and the difference is night and day on a capable system or with some good cans. Not everyone can appreciate and many more will care less because they've never heard the difference. You'd be amazed at differences that can be heard playing a movie at reference level and what ever is considered loud in your household. I myself rarely get to enjoy movies at that level. Mp3 and aac needs to die already. Recording artists are partly to blame for this.

Maybe they are able to develop a codec in a few years, that has the size of a mp3 but is lossless. But back to topic.

I hate it when they announce a new product like the Note 3 with all the features and stuff and the customer support doesn't know **** about their own products. Some say yes, some say no. Some say they don't have the info. Who else has the info if not the manufacturer? Ridiculous.

 

[gavinfabl]

apt-x as far as I knew is included with the Note 3.

 

[Cavcalade]

I need this confirmed. No speculation.

 

[uvaman]

I need this confirmed. No speculation.

As I said ask Supercurio he is the only one maybe beside Samsung who knows the answer...

 

[Cavcalade]

As I said ask Supercurio he is the only one maybe beside Samsung who knows the answer...

Will do. Thanks'!

 

[WILD9]

I need this confirmed. No speculation.

It has it :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X67ys65So3Q#t=18

back of the box at 17 seconds in

 

[NZtechfreak]

Considering Samsung purchased CSR who OWN Apt-X it seems unlikely in the extreme that they would go backwards and not support this since it has been on all their high-end stuff since the S3 (and lots of their less high-end stuff also). Add to this that they make a number of Apt-X capable accessories and it seems even less likely.

EDIT: ...and yes, it is very obviously on the box in that unboxing video.

 

[Cavcalade]

Considering Samsung purchased CSR who OWN Apt-X it seems unlikely in the extreme that they would go backwards and not support this since it has been on all their high-end stuff since the S3 (and lots of their less high-end stuff also). Add to this that they make a number of Apt-X capable accessories and it seems even less likely.

EDIT: ...and yes, it is very obviously on the box in that unboxing video.

It seems there are different versions.

@WILD9: Thanks for the video. As the guy mentions in his video it's the Korean version. On the video I posted on the first page, he shows the back at about 11 seconds. There's no aptX mentioned on the back. I don't get it why they release different versions without aptX... .

Here's the link of the video I posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxf3btdm0C4

EDIT: After watching your unboxing video, it's pretty ****ed up to see what kind of accessories they all have included.

 

[WILD9]

Possibly something to do with Exynos? Does he mention which processor it has, I have no sound here.

 

[Cavcalade]

Possibly something to do with Exynos? Does he mention which processor it has, I have no sound here.

In the description it says 2.3 Ghz Quad Core. I'll ask which one it is.

Is there a way to edit the thread name? I would like to mention that the Korean version supports it whereas the European and US versions do not. Or at least it seems they don't.