1y ago

What's your experience with bluetooth audio?

Bluetooth audio is my least favorite part of using Linux and it seems like my coworkers agree. I hear a lot of praise for pipewire, but it doesn't match what I experience. Does any system work well for anyone?

To clarify, it can work. But it's a harsh experience compared to say Android. I've used Ubuntu, Fedora, and PopOS. I've tried a few different headphones, using Galaxy Buds 2 current. Pulseaudio tends to "do as it's told" but doesn't automatically switch to the right (confusingly named) profile. With Ubuntu 23.10, using pipewire, it does automatic switch profiles. Sometimes this works great. But very often, it gets stuck on on a profile or just stops working. I have to reconnect bluetooth to fix it.

Is there some magic combination of things that works or is this just how it is for everyone?

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40 comments

My need for bluetooth headphone is very simple, if I can understand youtube videos, I am happy. And I am using WF-1000MX4, which works wonderfully just using the gnome gui.
I never need to worry about pipwire or pulse audio etc.
- Fun fact to keep in mind about your MX4 - if you use the "pair with two devices simultaneously" feature, the headphones shut off their LDAC support. All you get is the baseline audio codec. Nice, huh?
  
  That scenario would definitely be the time to use SBC-XQ.
  http://soundexpert.org/articles/-/blogs/audio-quality-of-sbc-xq-bluetooth-audio-codec
  (I have the over the ear XM3 that don't support multiple devices, but also have a Bose 700 that does. The Bose 700 does AAC, but I find SBC-XQ better. On the Sony it's a toss-up, so I stick to LDAC. I'm using Fedora Silverblue 39 with PipeWire for reference.)
  
  I haven't had much luck with XQ. I don't believe that Bluetooth can reliably find enough bandwidth for it, unless you're willing to blow up a few neighbor's WiFi points/baby monitors/microwaves/weather radar stations.
  
  I actually never know it can be paired to more than one device. LOL
  
  You have to use a phone app to do it, never found it to be worth the bother.

40 comments