Complete Comparison of SBC vs AAC: Which One Should You Choose

In the following content, I’ll introduce you to what SBC and AAC are and other common Bluetooth codecs. Additionally, I will present the comparison of SBC vs AAC to show you the differences between these two Bluetooth codecs.

Introduction of Bluetooth Codecs

Nowadays, it’s common to use Bluetooth headsets to receive audio from phones or computers. Bluetooth is a secure and short-range wireless technology. It allows devices to exchange information with each other without being physically connected by a cable. What are Bluetooth codecs? They encode and decode audio data for transmission over Bluetooth connections. Different Bluetooth codecs enable you to get different audio quality via Bluetooth devices.

Here are 5 common Bluetooth codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC, and LC3. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages. In this post, I mainly introduce AAC and SBC. Please read on.

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More Information about SBC and AAC

Follow me to learn more information about SBC and AAC and have a deep understanding of them.

What Is SBC

SBC is also known as a low-complexity subband codec which is an audio subband codec. It is specified by the Bluetooth Specia Interest Group for the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile. It is used as an audio encoder and decoder for transferring audio data to Bluetooth audio output devices. Furthermore, SBC can also be used on the Internet. It supports mono and stereo streams.

SBC is known as the most common Bluetooth codec that can provide reasonably good audio quality at medium bitrates with low computational complexity. In 2020, LC3 was released as the successor to SBC with better audio quality.

What Is AAC

AAC, short for Advanced Audio Coding, is an audio coding standard for lossy digital audio compression. Also, it is a common Bluetooth audio codec. It provides good sound quality and gets small file sizes using lossy compression. What’s more, it is supported by various devices, especially the Apple devices.

Sometimes, you may need to change the audio codec to AAC or change the AAC audio codec to other codecs like PCM, AC-3, AIFF, and others. A reliable audio codec converter can help you complete the task. MiniTool Video Converter is highly recommended. It is a completely free video and audio converter that supports various video and audio formats as well as the encoder. With it, you can easily convert to and from AAC. You can click the download button below to get this program and enjoy its useful features.

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A Side-by-Side Comparison of SBC vs AAC

To help you visualize the differences between SBC and AAC, I display a side-by-side comparison of AAC vs SBC from 3 main aspects, including sound quality, latency, and compatibility. Let’s check them one by one.

SBC vs AAC: Sound Quality

In terms of the sound quality, AAC is the winner. It uses advanced audio compression methods to provide good sound quality, especially at lower bitrates. On the other hand, SBC is the basic and default codec for most Bluetooth devices. It only provides relatively good audio quality. If you are looking for high-fidelity sound, AAC should be your choice.

SBC vs AAC: Latency

The latency should also be taken into consideration, especially for Bluetooth devices. SBC or AAC, which one has slow latency? Unfortunately, both of them have high latency. Compared with SBC, AAC has slower latency. If you need a Bluetooth codec for gaming and real-time audio applications, you should choose other Bluetooth codecs like aptX and LDAC.

SBC vs AAC: Compatibility

SBC, as the most common Bluetooth codec, is universally supported by most Bluetooth devices. If you are an Apple user, AAC should be your first choice combining with compatibility and audio quality.

AAC vs SBC, which one should be your choice? On the whole, AAC is better than SBC. You can get high-fidelity sound quality and relatively slow latency. On the contrary, if your device doesn’t support AAC, SBC should be your choice. Moreover, SBS has the advantage of power efficiency. You should choose from AAC and SBC based on your practical needs.  

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Conclusion

Bluetooth codecs are used to encode and decode audio data for transmission via Bluetooth devices. AAC and SBC are two common Bluetooth codecs. SBC vs AAC, which codec is better? What are the differences between them? After reading this post, you must have the answer.