A good pair of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds is about far more than sound. Staying connected to two devices at once, getting battery life that lasts the whole day and picking the right codec matter just as much as audio quality. There is one feature almost nobody switches on, multipoint, and a handful of habits that change daily use. Here is what actually matters, beyond the claims on the box.
Why your headphones pick a device for you
The moment they power up, headphones reconnect to the last device they used. Handy, until that last device is the wrong one: music starts on the tablet while you were waiting for a call on your phone.
The reason is technical. Classic Bluetooth can only hold one audio connection active at a time, so switching from your laptop to your phone means disconnecting on one side and pairing again on the other, every single time. This is where multipoint comes in.
Multipoint: the feature that actually solves it
Multipoint lets a headset keep two connections active at once and move the audio between them automatically. In practice, you can watch a video on your laptop and take a call on your phone without pairing anything again.
The snag is that on most models it is switched off by default and has to be enabled in the manufacturer's app. On many Sony headphones, for instance, you tick the option in the companion app before adding the second device. Here is the procedure, much the same across brands.
- Update the firmware from the maker's app: multipoint often appears only after an update.
- Turn on the multipoint (or "two connections") option in the app, usually under the connection settings.
- Pair the first device by putting the headphones into pairing mode.
- Pair the second device: put the headphones back into pairing mode and connect from that device's Bluetooth menu.
- Test the handover by playing something on the first device and starting a call on the second.
There is a trade-off worth knowing: turning multipoint on often disables the high-definition codecs, because two connections need a more stable link. On some models, such as the Sony WH-1000XM4, enabling multipoint switches LDAC off.
Good to know: if pairing keeps failing, remove the headphones from the Bluetooth list on both devices and pair again from scratch. Forgetting the device on only one side is the most common mistake.
SBC, AAC, aptX and LDAC: choosing a codec
A codec is the way audio is compressed and sent over Bluetooth. The rule to remember: a codec only works if both the headphones and the phone support it; if either side is missing it, the connection quietly falls back to SBC.
SBC is universal but basic; AAC works best on iPhones and Apple gear; Qualcomm's aptX is common on mid-range and higher Android phones; Sony's LDAC aims for high resolution with a far richer data stream. For streaming, a solid data connection on your mobile helps too.
So before chasing LDAC, check that both devices handle it, and bear in mind the richer codecs are harder on the battery. Our mobile technology guides go deeper on how these standards compare.
What actually drains the battery
The figures on the box always assume the most flattering settings. In real use, three things eat into the battery: active noise cancelling uses about a quarter of the charge on its own, a high-resolution codec takes off roughly another ten per cent, and multipoint shortens things further.
A concrete example. Sony's WH-1000XM6 are rated at up to 40 hours, but the figure shifts a lot with the settings.
Still plenty of hours, but a long way from the headline number. The lithium battery also ages with use, and a few habits slow the decline.
- Pop earbuds back in the case when you are not using them, to prevent needless drain.
- Keep them away from heat, which is the real enemy of the cells.
- Update the firmware, which often improves both power management and stability.
- Do not leave them sat at 100 per cent or fully flat for long stretches.
- Do not run noise cancelling and LDAC together if you need the battery to reach the evening.
Why the sound stutters on a train or in an open-plan office
Bluetooth runs on the 2.4 GHz band, the same one used by Wi-Fi and microwave ovens. In places crowded with signals, the usual range of around ten metres can shrink noticeably and the audio starts to stutter.
Small tweaks help: keep the phone in a front pocket rather than the bottom of a bag, cut down the physical obstacles between phone and headset, and steer clear of areas thick with Wi-Fi. If you are also weighing up coverage and price, it is worth comparing how the main mobile networks perform where you live.