Choppy Bluetooth with Plasma Applet in Leap 15.3

English Hardware
1

Hi all.

Recently I upgraded my Linux to Leap 15.3.

Then, connecting Bluetooth Headphones (Sennheiser model that has Bluetooth 5.0 with Apt-X LL), I have noticed, that there is no stable transmission, it’s going to interrupt all the way. It’s very choppy. At little distance, too.

Android Phone (Huawei) makes stable connection with these headphones at long distances without any problem. I can not remember exactly, but with Leap 15.2 was better (also bad, was not 100% stable, but better).

May be somebody has the same issue.

Thanks,
Vadim.

2

Bluetooth (BT) works in the 2.4 GHz band just like WiFi, Zigbee and a lot more of protocols, see 2.4 GHz radio use.

If you phone has a stable BT audio connections and your computer not it might well be that the computer BT has problems with interference.

3

Leap 15.3 has troubles with sound subsystems.
After checks with interference create bug report.

4

It’s at the same place…

How can I create a bug report?

Thanks,
Vadim.

5

No, it think it is not a the same place.

For sure your phone and your computer are not using the same antenna’s and for 2.4 GHz the wavelength is ~12.5 cm so if you move an antenna/device only 2 cm the channel conditions can be completely different.

I have seen my BT headset having problem with WiFi active, which is far from strange if you know the details on how these protocols work.

I think you have to provide much more evidence before claiming this is a software bug

6

https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Submitting_bug_reports
https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Bug_reporting_FAQ

Check hardware with M$ Windows - whether it works with it.

7

Thanks.
I have no Windows on that computer… But I will use other Live Linuxes (Debian, and others) and report back.

Vadim.

8

So, Windows 10 Home Live USB (Intel Bluetooth Driver) works perfect. On the same machine. It´s a Leap software, that will not going to work.

Can somebody file a bug report, I have no experience?

Also, I have tested a cheap USB Bluetooth 5.0 CSR dongle with Windows. It works (with some rare disconnects) out of the box. Linux lsusb sees the dongle, but it doesn´t work there.

Thanks,
Vadim.

9

In Debian 10.0 the Bluetooth functionality is m.o. broken. I was not been able to pair a Sennheisers with an adapter.
Kubuntu 20.4: Bluetooth works, but also choppy.

Thanks.

10

Thanks for reporting back.

My conclusion is that the problem is interference, this article is for WiFi, but the same holds for Bluetooth.

Can you tell what is your setup? Are you using a laptop with build in Bluetooth or are you using a Desktop with a Bluetooth dongle or …?

If you are using a Bluetooth dongle, I can recommend to get a 2 meter USB extension cable and place the Bluetooth dongle 2 meter from the computer. Test the Bluetooth quality and if still not good, try some other places. If that does not work, try, for a test to disable all WiFi and check if then the problem is gone.

11

Thanks.

It’s a little Zotak Zbox i5 with onboard intel Bluetooth, antenna is located at the front side of plastic casing. All Wi-Fi (incl. router, zbox and nearby computers) is always disabled. But I do have a 2.4GHz Logitech Mouse (yes, I use a good (shielded) extension cable for the mouse dongle).
As I have written, Windows works near perfect from the same box. Still thinking, that it is an interference? M.o. - no, it’s a software problem.

Vadim.

12

I have eliminated the Logitech Wireless Mouse - you are partially right, it’s definitely better without it. It was a last 2,4GHz source in the surrounding. But Windows was not so sensitive to the Logitech…

Thanks,
Vadim.

13

Possibly you need to disable USB3, or don’t use it.

14

Yes, USB-3 can cause also quite some interference.

To check more things, can you try “pacmd list sinks” with the and share the output Bluetooth Headphones connected and playing music and share the output for the “sink” that has the headphone connected? For me that looks like:

Sink #4 
        State: RUNNING 
        Name: bluez_sink.00_1E_7C_8D_92_3F.a2dp_sink 
        Description: Philips SHB9000 
        Driver: module-bluez5-device.c 
        Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz 
        Channel Map: front-left,front-right 
        Owner Module: 29 
        Mute: no 
        Volume: front-left: 18350 /  28% / -33.17 dB,   front-right: 18350 /  28% / -33.17 dB 
                balance 0.00 
        Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB 
        Monitor Source: bluez_sink.00_1E_7C_[FONT=monospace]7C_8D_92_3F.a2dp_sink.monitor 
        Latency: 62697 usec, configured 51122 usec 
        Flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY  
        Properties: 
                bluetooth.protocol = "a2dp_sink" 
                device.description = "Philips SHB9000" 
                device.string = "00:1E:7C:7C:8D:92:3F" 
                device.api = "bluez" 
                device.class = "sound" 
                device.bus = "bluetooth" 
                device.form_factor = "headset" 
                bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_00_1E_7C_7C_8D_92_3F" 
                bluez.class = "0x240404" 
                bluez.alias = "Philips SHB9000" 
                device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth" 
                device.intended_roles = "phone" 
        Ports: 
                headset-output: Headset (type: Headset, priority: 0, available) 
        Active Port: headset-output 
        Formats: 
                pcm[/FONT]

With that information (the name) you can also try to increase the latency using:

pactl set-port-latency-offset <bluez_card> headset-output 100000

This will allow more buffer to combat the interference but has as drawback it increases the latency so if you are watching video the audio can be delayed. In that case try a lower value until you find a good compromise.

The other option is of course to buy a BT USB stick and connect that with a cable so it is physically separated from the Zotac Zbox.

15

Hi.
Is that what you needed?

 * index: 1
        name: <bluez_sink.00_1B_66_E8_8C_43.a2dp_sink>
        driver: <module-bluez5-device.c>
        flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
        state: RUNNING
        suspend cause: (none)
        priority: 9050
        volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
                balance 0.00
        base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
        volume steps: 65537
        muted: no
        current latency: 86.35 ms
        max request: 5 KiB
        max rewind: 0 KiB
        monitor source: 1
        sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
        channel map: front-left,front-right
                     Stereo
        used by: 1
        linked by: 1
        fixed latency: 56.93 ms
        card: 1 <bluez_card.00_1B_66_E8_8C_43>
        module: 28
        properties:
                bluetooth.protocol = "a2dp_sink"
                device.description = "PXC 550-II"
                device.string = "00:1B:66:E8:8C:43"
                device.api = "bluez"
                device.class = "sound"
                device.bus = "bluetooth"
                device.form_factor = "headset"
                bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_00_1B_66_E8_8C_43"
                bluez.class = "0x240404"
                bluez.alias = "PXC 550-II"
                device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
                device.intended_roles = "phone"
        ports:
                headset-output: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
                        properties:

        active port: <headset-output>

I have 2 of USB Bluetooth dongles (V. 4.0 and 5.0), but none of them works with Linux.

Thanks, Vadim.

16

Did compare your “pacmd list sinks” output with mine and see no big differences apart from the formatting. That is likely because I am on Tumbleweed and you are on Leap 15.3.
Also your volume seems to be set to 100%, mine not :wink:

Did you try the trick of increasing the latency offset?

I have 2 of USB Bluetooth dongles (V. 4.0 and 5.0), but none of them works with Linux.

If you want to get the working (they work under Windows I assume) I suggest starting another thread starting with the output of dmesg --follow after inserting the dongle.

17

Thanks.
I will try to start a new thread.

I have also installed the latest versions of Bluez and have installed the Pulseaudio-module-bt (that has AptX), but no luck.

Vadim.

18

Interesting, it works perfect with an old CSR Bluetooth 4.0 USB Dongle at short distance (I have a USB 3 hub, with relative long wire, which is on the table near me).

It’s

ID 0a12:0001 Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)

also.

Vadim.

19

That is a good finding.

You can do some more experimenting to find out if it is due to the location or due to the older hardware.

If it is the older hardware, that is not really a surprise, Linux typically supports somewhat older hardware better then very new hardware.

20

Check your USB hardware without hubs - they can introduce errors.
USB 3 limits cable length for ~ 3m, bad cables can shorten it.