Blue Bloom 0.1.0

First public pre-release.

Added

• Menu bar app that streams the Mac's audio to Bluetooth headphones over A2DP with LDAC (up to 96 kHz / 24-bit at 330, 660 or 990 kbps), aptX HD, aptX, AAC (up to 320 kbps) and SBC, including SBC XQ.
• Adaptive bitrate for LDAC, SBC and AAC when the Bluetooth link gets congested.
• Sample rate follows the Apple Music track while it plays, otherwise the output device.
• AVRCP absolute volume, so the Mac volume drives the headphones' amplifier; the headphones' play, pause and skip buttons control the Mac.
• Headphone battery level in the menu.
• Automatic mode: Blue Bloom takes over only headphones that support a better codec than macOS (LDAC or aptX); other headphones stay with macOS.
• Blue Bloom virtual audio device, installed on first launch with an administrator password.
• Uninstaller in Settings › Advanced that removes the audio device, the login item, settings and log.
• Settings › About › Export Diagnostics… saves a zip with Blue Bloom's logs, the Bluetooth part of System Information and the last two hours of the macOS Bluetooth log, with Bluetooth addresses masked; Copy Diagnostics copies a summary without names or addresses. Issue forms for bug reports and headphone reports ask for both.
• The log records the version, build number and source commit at launch, and each pair of headphones' Device ID (vendor, product, version); the previous log is kept when the log is rotated.
• Command-line tool bluebloom (build from source) for probing headphones and testing codecs.
• User interface in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, French and Spanish.

Known issues

• The app is not signed with an Apple Developer ID or notarized. macOS blocks it the first time; allow it in System Settings › Privacy & Security. After each update macOS asks for Bluetooth access again.
• Tested only on macOS 27 on Apple silicon, with Focal Bathys and Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones.
• While Blue Bloom is connected, other apps can't use the headphones' microphone.
• After Blue Bloom disconnects them, some headphones (observed with Focal Bathys) can't be reached for 20 to 35 seconds.

Install

1. Download BlueBloom-0.1.0.dmg, open it and drag Blue Bloom to Applications.
2. Open Blue Bloom. Because it isn't signed with an Apple Developer ID yet, macOS blocks it the first time:
   go to System Settings › Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
3. Allow Bluetooth access, read the first-run notice and install the Blue Bloom audio device (administrator password, once).

After an update macOS asks for Bluetooth access again, because the app isn't signed with a Developer ID.

Build 5, source commit fa87be74aa. SHA-256 of BlueBloom-0.1.0.dmg: 0c6eff5e078b9867fdf2ef4478ce1336bada63ca1565ec47f27b2f3449c5fcf2