Shopping for wireless earbuds, you will see one badge everywhere: aptX. It promises “high-quality” Bluetooth audio, and plenty of buyers treat it as a must-have. But if you stream Spotify on your phone like most of us do, aptX makes far less difference than the box suggests.
What changes your sound the most is the hardware inside the earbud: the drivers. That is why we built Kagami around two of them instead of a codec badge. Here is the reasoning, and what it means for the way you actually listen.
What aptX actually does
aptX is a Bluetooth codec, a way of squeezing audio small enough to send from your phone to your earbuds. It is a good codec. But it sits in the middle of a chain, and that chain is only as good as its weakest link. For the everyday listener, there are three weaker links before aptX ever gets a say.
1. Your music is usually already compressed
On Spotify, Premium’s “Very high” setting is equivalent to roughly 320 kbps, and the Free tier tops out around 160 kbps (Spotify). Spotify did add a Lossless option for Premium in September 2025, but you have to switch it on yourself under Settings > Media Quality (HardwareZone). Most listeners never touch the default.
2. Bluetooth compresses it again anyway
Every common Bluetooth codec is lossy, aptX included (ecoustics). Even Spotify says Bluetooth lacks the bandwidth to guarantee lossless delivery, so the signal is compressed before it reaches your earbuds (TechCrunch).
3. iPhones don’t support aptX at all
iPhones send audio over Bluetooth using AAC (or SBC), whatever your earbuds support (ListenUp). For the many iPhone users in Singapore, an aptX logo does nothing at all.
| Codec | Approx. bitrate | Lossy? | Works on iPhone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBC | up to 345 kbps | Yes | Yes |
| AAC | up to 320 kbps | Yes | Yes |
| aptX | 384 kbps | Yes | No |
| aptX HD | 576 kbps | Yes | No |
Put it together and the gap between a 320 kbps Spotify stream sent over AAC and the same stream sent over aptX is small. The gap between a single budget driver and a well-tuned dual-driver setup is one you hear in the first chorus.
What actually shapes your sound: the drivers
A driver is the tiny speaker inside each earbud. Most TWS earbuds use a single dynamic driver to cover everything from kick drums to cymbals. That one driver has to compromise: push hard for bass and the highs get muddy, tune for detail and the low end thins out. (New to the idea? We explain the basics in Wondering about Dual / Hybrid Drivers in TWS?)
Kagami splits the job between two drivers:
- A 10mm titanium composite dynamic driver for bass. A larger diaphragm moves more air, giving you deep, controlled low end. Titanium composite is stiff and light, so the bass stays tight instead of boomy.
- A balanced armature for clarity. Balanced armatures are small, fast drivers long used in in-ear monitors. In Kagami it handles the mids and highs, so vocals, guitars and cymbals stay crisp even when the bass is busy.
The result is separation. On a dense track you can pick out the bassline, the vocal and the hi-hat at the same time instead of hearing them blur together. And that improvement survives any codec, any phone and any streaming tier, because it happens after the signal arrives.
Tuned for how Singapore listens
Most of our listening happens on the move: the MRT, a bus along the PIE, a run at East Coast Park. Kagami is designed for exactly that.
- Clarity that cuts through the commute. The balanced armature keeps vocals forward, so you don’t need to max out the volume over train noise.
- Built for the climate. IPX5 water resistance handles sweat and a sudden downpour.
- Light enough to forget. 4.8g per earbud, with a wing-lock fit and two tip sizes.
- All-day battery. 8 hours per charge, 40 hours in total with the case.
- Clear calls. Four microphones filter out background noise.
Kagami comes in Midnight Blue and Copper. It’s usually S$179 and often on sale, so check the shop for today’s price.
Frequently asked questions
Is aptX worth it for Spotify?
For most listeners, not much. Spotify’s standard streams are already compressed and Bluetooth compresses them again, so the gain from aptX is small. On an iPhone it doesn’t apply at all, because iPhones don’t support aptX.
Does Spotify Lossless sound better on wireless earbuds?
Only partly. Spotify says Bluetooth can’t guarantee lossless delivery, so the stream is compressed before it reaches your earbuds. For true lossless playback, Spotify recommends wired headphones.
What is a dual-driver earbud?
An earbud with two drivers inside, each tuned for part of the frequency range. In Kagami, a 10mm titanium composite dynamic driver handles bass and a balanced armature handles mids and highs.
What does a balanced armature do?
It’s a small, precise driver that excels at detail. It makes vocals, strings and cymbals sound clear and separated.
What should I look for in wireless earbuds for music in Singapore?
Look for dual drivers, a secure fit and IPX5 or better for the humidity. Kagami ticks all three.
Hear the difference
Codecs move music. Drivers make it. If you stream Spotify on the way to work, the biggest upgrade you can make is the hardware in your ears, not the codec on the box.
Kagami pairs a 10mm titanium composite dynamic driver with a balanced armature, so you get bass with weight and clarity that cuts through. See today’s price on Kagami and hear what your playlists have been missing.