Bluetooth Headphones audio stuttering and cutting out constantly

> System:
> Kernel: 5.17.9-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.1.0
> parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
> root=UUID=37536d2b-56c7-4224-bd6a-a48d164c6ef7 rw rootflags=subvol=@
> quiet splash rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0 loglevel=3
> intel_iommu=on iommu=pt systemd.unified_cgroup_hierarchy=0
> Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.24.5 tk: Qt v: 5.15.4 info: latte-dock
> wm: kwin_x11 vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
> Machine:
> Type: Desktop Mobo: MEDION model: B560H6-EM v: 1.0
> serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 560H6W0X.019
> date: 07/12/2021
> CPU:
> Info: model: 11th Gen Intel Core i5-11400 bits: 64 type: MT MCP
> arch: Rocket Lake family: 6 model-id: 0xA7 (167) stepping: 1
> microcode: 0x53
> Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 tpc: 2 threads: 12 smt: enabled cache:
> L1: 480 KiB desc: d-6x48 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 3 MiB desc: 6x512 KiB
> L3: 12 MiB desc: 1x12 MiB
> Speed (MHz): avg: 4039 high: 4184 min/max: 800/4400 scaling:
> driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 3860 2: 4022 3: 4099
> 4: 4064 5: 3860 6: 4140 7: 4184 8: 4088 9: 3982 10: 3886 11: 4135
> 12: 4149 bogomips: 62208
> Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
> Vulnerabilities:
> Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
> Type: l1tf status: Not affected
> Type: mds status: Not affected
> Type: meltdown status: Not affected
> Type: spec_store_bypass
> mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
> Type: spectre_v1
> mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
> Type: spectre_v2
> mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB filling
> Type: srbds status: Not affected
> Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
> Graphics:
> Device-1: NVIDIA GA106 [GeForce RTX 3060] vendor: ZOTAC driver: nvidia
> v: 515.43.04 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm pcie: gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s
> lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:2503 class-ID: 0300
> chip-ID: 328f:2013 class-ID: 0300 serial: <filter>
> Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.3 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.1
> compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: nvidia unloaded: modesetting
> alternate: fbdev,nouveau,nv,vesa gpu: nvidia display-ID: :0 screens: 1
> Screen-1: 0 s-res: 5991x1080 s-dpi: 94 s-size: 1619x292mm (63.74x11.50")
> s-diag: 1645mm (64.77")
> Monitor-1: DP-0 pos: primary,center res: 1920x1080 dpi: 90
> size: 544x303mm (21.42x11.93") diag: 623mm (24.52") modes: N/A
> Monitor-2: DP-2 pos: primary,left res: 1920x1080 dpi: 94
> size: 521x293mm (20.51x11.54") diag: 598mm (23.53") modes: N/A
> Monitor-3: HDMI-0 pos: right res: 1920x1080 dpi: 94
> size: 521x293mm (20.51x11.54") diag: 598mm (23.53") modes: N/A
> OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060/PCIe/SSE2
> v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 515.43.04 direct render: Yes
> Audio:
> Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake-H HD Audio vendor: MEDION AG
> driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl
> bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:43c8 class-ID: 0403
> Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: ZOTAC driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
> gen: 4 speed: 16 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:228e
> class-ID: 0403
> Device-3: SHENZHEN EMEET HD Webcam C960 type: USB
> driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid,uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-1:2
> chip-ID: 328f:2013 class-ID: 0300 serial: <filter>
> Device-4: JMTek LLC. USB PnP Audio Device type: USB
> driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus-ID: 1-8:5 chip-ID: 0c76:161e
> class-ID: 0300
> Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.17.9-zen1-1-zen running: yes
> Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.0 running: no
> Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.51 running: yes
> Network:
> Device-1: Intel Tiger Lake PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
> bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:43f0 class-ID: 0280
> IF: wlo1 state: down mac: <filter>
> Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
> vendor: MEDION AG driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s
> lanes: 1 port: 3000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
> IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
> IF-ID-1: docker0 state: down mac: <filter>
> IF-ID-2: tun0 state: unknown speed: 10 Mbps duplex: full mac: N/A
> IF-ID-3: virbr0 state: down mac: <filter>
> Bluetooth:
> Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8
> bus-ID: 1-14:6 chip-ID: 8087:0026 class-ID: e001
> Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter>
> Drives:
> Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 637.06 GiB (66.8%)
> SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
> ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Samsung
> model: MZVL21T0HCLR-00B00 size: 953.87 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B
> logical: 512 B speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
> rev: GXA7301Q temp: 40.9 C scheme: GPT
> Partition:
> ID-1: / raw-size: 953.57 GiB size: 953.57 GiB (100.00%)
> used: 637.05 GiB (66.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
> ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
> used: 576 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
> ID-3: /home raw-size: 953.57 GiB size: 953.57 GiB (100.00%)
> used: 637.05 GiB (66.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
> ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 953.57 GiB size: 953.57 GiB (100.00%)
> used: 637.05 GiB (66.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
> ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 953.57 GiB size: 953.57 GiB (100.00%)
> used: 637.05 GiB (66.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
> Swap:
> Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
> ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.5 GiB used: 1.37 GiB (8.9%)
> priority: 100 dev: /dev/zram0
> Sensors:
> System Temperatures: cpu: 80.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 62 C
> Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 0%
> Info:
> Processes: 392 Uptime: 3h 16m wakeups: 0 Memory: 15.5 GiB
> used: 12.2 GiB (78.7%) Init: systemd v: 250 tool: systemctl Compilers:
> gcc: 12.1.0 clang: 13.0.1 Packages: 2035 pacman: 2029 lib: 553 flatpak: 6
> Shell: fish v: 3.4.1 default: Bash v: 5.1.16 running-in: yakuake
> inxi: 3.3.15
> Garuda (2.6.3-2):
> System install date:     2022-01-10
> Last full system update: 2022-05-22
> Is partially upgraded:   No
> Relevant software:       NetworkManager
> Windows dual boot:       Probably (Run as root to verify)
> Snapshots:               Snapper
> Failed units:            memavaild.service systemd-oomd.socket

garuda-inxi, windows isn't installed

Anyways, I've looked through the arch wiki troubleshooting for bluetooth and nothing there has fixed it for me. I've tried reinstalling bluez, pipewire, tried using pulse audio instead and all kinds of other things.

My audio constantly cuts out and back in through my bluetooth headset, and I have zero idea why. I've also been having a similar issue occasionally when not on bluetooth but it's no where near as bad and has stopped happening, also couldn't find a fix for that.

Connection & pairing etc works perfectly. It's extremely bad makes bluetooth borderline unuseable, the audio is getting registered fine it's just not communicating it to the headset and cutting out randomly. I've also disabled power saving settings, or tried to at least not 100%.

If you turn off WiFi (temporarily, just to test) does it make any difference?

Edit:

Since you have Windows installed, you will have to change the default power management configuration to disable the "fast startup" option. This "feature" prevents the system from completely shutting down, and is notorious for not releasing hardware/firmware resources (including the network card).

1 Like

So I actually only use ethernet, and I don't dual boot windows. Also my bluetooth device works perfectly with my phone etc no idea what's going on.

Your WiFi antenna can still be on if you are using ethernet--you have to specifically go shut it off to make sure it is down and not interfering with the BT radio.

It might be worth testing a few different kernels, like LTS or mainline. Another thing you could try is installing linux-firmware-git.

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