Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows you to connect headphones or portable speakers, a stereo system, or a soundbar to your smartphone or laptop, among other things.
Today, there are many devices on the market with different versions of the Bluetooth protocol and support for different codecs.
What does all this mean, which version is the latest, do you need to understand all this, and most importantly for us, does it affect sound quality in any way? Let’s take a look.
What is more important: codecs or device components?
First, it is important to note that the Bluetooth audio technology you hear has much less impact on sound quality than the quality of the gadget itself. If you try testing several wireless headphones or speakers, you will hear obvious differences between the devices. If you try the same device but connected with different codecs or Bluetooth versions, the difference may not be so obvious, perhaps even imperceptible.
Simply put, you shouldn’t base your choice solely on the Bluetooth technologies and codecs supported by the device; these are not the most important criteria.
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Bluetooth versions
Over the years, Bluetooth technology has improved significantly. With each new release, it becomes faster, smarter, and more power efficient. Although the difference between the latest versions may not be so obvious to the ear, each one has brought important improvements.
Let’s highlight the main technical differences between Bluetooth versions:
Bluetooth 3.0: significantly increased data transfer speed (up to 24 Mbps vs. 2.1 Mbps in Bluetooth 2.0), but increased power consumption.
Bluetooth 4.0: reduced power consumption while maintaining a speed of 24 Mbps.
Bluetooth 4.1: protection against cross-interference when working with LTE modules installed in all 4G smartphones has been added.
Bluetooth 4.2: increased speed and improved data transfer protection.
Bluetooth 5.0: range increased 4 times, speed increased 2 times.
Bluetooth 5.1: Added the ability to determine location and direction with maximum accuracy.
Bluetooth 5.2: Optimized low-power mode and introduced a new audio transmission standard, LE Audio.
Bluetooth 5.3: Improved connection stability and security.
Bluetooth 5.4: Added periodic awareness with responses (PAwR) and encrypted awareness data.
Bluetooth 6.0: Improved audio streaming, location services, enhanced security, and increased distance measurement accuracy.
Bluetooth 6.1: Added Bluetooth Randomized RPA technology to improve device privacy and energy efficiency. This is the latest version, released in May 2025.
The new versions solve data transfer speed and power consumption issues with almost no impact on sound quality. And a stable connection helps “heavy” codecs like aptX HD or LDAC work smoothly at high transfer speeds.
