Google quietly added a major high-res audio feature to Pixels with Android 17

Android 17 brings many good changes, but there are also ones that have flown under the radar and haven’t been as heavily advertised. It seems Google has silently added a highly requested audio feature to its latest software update, bringing the Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC) to supported Pixel devices.

Reddit user QuantumCatalyzt noticed that Android 17 on their Pixel 9 Pro enabled LHDC codec support, allowing them to switch on Hi-Res audio on their OnePlus Buds.

On my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL running the stable Android 17 release, I can confirm that LHDC v5 is now a valid option available in Settings > System > Developer Options > Bluetooth > Bluetooth Audio Codec when I connect my OnePlus Buds Pro 3 (the options will be grayed out until compatible hardware is connected).

With Android 17, I can switch to 96kHz sample rate for Bluetooth Audio and subsequently turn on Hi-Res mode in the HeyMelody app (the companion app for OnePlus earbuds). You’d still need a high-quality source, which, in my case, was Hi-Res Lossless in Apple Music, to experience a wider soundstage right off the bat than previously possible with the AAC default.

Prior to this update, Pixel phones relied heavily on Sony’s LDAC for high-bitrate wireless audio, leaving many users restricted to lower-quality AAC or SBC when pairing their devices with popular LHDC-supported audio gear. The change is a massive win for users who pair their Pixels with earbuds from manufacturers like OnePlus, Nothing, and OPPO, which frequently utilize LHDC to handle high-resolution audio streams.

Savitech Corp, the creator of LHDC, mentioned in a blog post in March that Android 17 would include native LHDC support. This means that all future Android smartphones, including those from Samsung, OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi, will offer seamless LHDC support, providing users with a premium audio experience.

LHDC 5.0 can theoretically top out at 24-bit/192kHz with a maximum data bitrate of 1Mbps, compared to AAC’s 16-bit/44.1kHz with a bitrate of 256kbps. However, audio sources with higher quality than LHDC will be dynamically compressed and downsampled to fit within Bluetooth’s bandwidth constraints. So if you’re expecting wired IEM-level quality, you should temper your expectations. Still, if you have compatible LHDC audio hardware, like earbuds and headphones, the Android 17 update on your Pixels will let you enjoy your audio better than before.