Bluetooth audio quality concerns

OK, I'm opening a new thread with this one, since I would really like to gather opinions of people who are also facing bluetooth audio quality issues.

Since I got my iPhone 3G, and paired it with my bluetooth headsets, people have been complaining that the couldn't hear me well. My voice would crack up, or even not make it at all to the other side. I got a couple of new bluetooth headsets, only to find out that it wasn't the headsets' fault. That said, I would like to add, that all the headsets that seem to misbehave when paired to the iPhone, work great when in use with my older SE mobile phone.

I did some testing and found out that, the issue of my side cracking up or not sounding at all would only arise when the OTHER party was in a noisy environment (usually trying to talk to somebody in a Mall would do the trick). That said, I would also like to add that when talking through the iPhone itself (even on speakerphone), would work fine!

I am suspecting that there is an echo cancelation feature build-into the iPhone that revs up when talking through a bluetooth headset and seems to cut-off my headset's input level when strong noise it detected from the other side, presumably to avoid echo. Seems like this feature is badly tuned, in a way that communication can no longer work in an syncronous way.

What seems strange to me is that, after updating to v2.2 of iPhone software, the issue seemed to have gone away; however, it looks like it's back!

This whole situation could also be connected to various bluetooth quality issues many people are facing when using bluetooth car kits. I would suggest you try and connect such issues with the NOISE on the OTHER END.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I will try and put together a Skype call that would hopefully demostrate what I am trying to say.

iPhone 3G v2.2

Posted on Nov 26, 2008 4:23 AM

Reply
359 replies

Dec 16, 2009 9:24 AM in response to Thanar

Shure I´ll do that, but let me tell my history:

I gat the 2G IPhone 16GB when it came out with the Apple BT Headset, I work great until I upgrade to System 2.2, after that I was not able to hear well (Is it me?) No, I waited until I bught the 3G 16 GB and System 3.0 and the same, so I Buy the Plantronics (985 I Think) Discovery and it work great untill 3.1 I gat the 3GS 32 GB and the same I can hear fine but they wont hear me well, And I had a bulky BenQ Head Set model H100 ( http://www.pcenlinea.com/mp/57391.html ) that I gat like 3 years ago when I bugth 4 LCD TVs BenQ and for every TV they give me one BT Head set as a gift, so I decide it to try it and its working perfect, even the voice comand works great.

I´ll keep you posted, Sorry for my rusty English.

Message was edited by: RZ500

Message was edited by: RZ500

Message was edited by: RZ500

Dec 16, 2009 6:02 PM in response to RZ500

Just to be clear, when you say that the BenQ headset is working, do you mean "you" can hear just fine or do you mean "they" can hear you just fine? I believe the root cause of this problem is a hardware and firmware issue, and that is why Apple did not fix it with 3.1.2. They are now testing 4.0 in San Jose and from what I hear, will have a 3.1.3 or greater coming out before next Spring. Nonetheless, they have yet to take responsibility for this problem and I am astounded that it has not garnered more attention in the media.

Dec 16, 2009 6:13 PM in response to durancd

It works great in both I hear and they hear, even the voice comands in Spanish work fine I tested al day today and with the sound of trafic I was able to send a comand and hear in 3/4 ov volume fine (full vol was to much) and my friend and wife said that they finaly were able to hearme, I think is something with the Bloototh vertion since this old headset has BT 1. Something, to bad we are far away since I have 2 more so you culd try one, try to get an old one a motorola or something like that and test it.

Dec 16, 2009 10:07 PM in response to RZ500

I speak a lot with iPhone users about this issue. Lately a friend of an iPhone user told me that he was able to have a fully fuctional BT headset with his device. And that was a very cheap i-tec headset (didn't name me the exact model).
The scenery is slowly starting to clear out.
1st of all : Now I'm totally convinced that it's a software issue 100%, different experiences from all 3 different iPhone devices are shouting this loud and clear(metaphorically speaking ...haha :P)
Secondly: The latest firmwares are fully fuctional only with very old technology BT headsets... that's a shame lol!!!!
3d of all: AT LAST FIX IT!!!!!!
Ok done :P

Dec 17, 2009 2:01 AM in response to RZ500

Don't be over-excited. I had my Jabra working fine with the iPhone for a couple of months, but then it broke again. However, what you say about old headsets seems to have some solidity, since my brother as well told me that his four-year-old sony-ericsson headset is working much better than his two brand-new headsets from Plantronics.

Could be that iPhone behaves better when detecting old bluetooth protocols, by disabling buggy "features"! In any way, a permanent PROPER fix is highly needed ASAP!

Dec 21, 2009 10:18 AM in response to Thanar

Hi Im very pleased i have found this thread!!!. I have a 3G and have been pulling my hair out over this bluetooth issue as I use mine in the car every day. I've used Jabra, Parrot, Jawbone + now I use a Plantronics Voyager Pro and still have issues. Apple Helpline were pants and did'nt have a clue. I eventuallty visited the Apple Store and they swapped out my iPhone but the same fault is there. Infact the Genius guy in the store had'nt seen it before??? All the headsets I tried worked fine with other phones. I spoke to Plantronics and they said its a fault / conflict with the DSP technology in the iPhone which they are well aware of (Apple need to fix) thats causing the issue. This has P &@# me off so much I nearly binned it brought a nice basic Nokia that WORKS !!. But reading all the other comments it may be sorted soon whey hey !!!

cheers

Dec 22, 2009 2:35 AM in response to MattC522

So Matt,

You've got word from Plantronics that the issue is related to some DSP function of the iPhone. Exactly what I was claiming on the first post in this thread. Glad that we have a confirmation, however I am not very optimist as to when this issue will be resolved!

To Apple engineers: an option to enable / disable noise cancellation in Bluetooth Settings wouldn't take you more than 3 mins to compile for the next iPhone software version. Please; make us proud!

Dec 27, 2009 11:04 AM in response to masterstif

Hi All,

Just wanted to point you to the direction of a parallel discussion thread...

Also Skype for the iPhone is propably being troubled by the problems with the Bluetooth headset implementation on the Iphone...:

http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=314311&st=0

I have added myself to the queue of frustrated iPhone users awaiting for the Bluetooth headset problem to be solved...

Best regards

Jakob Anker Hansen

Dec 28, 2009 2:51 AM in response to jakobankerhansen

The Skype issue is not directly relevant to this thread. It has to do with the fact that Apple hasn't released a bluetooth API for iPhone developers to use. However, the fact itself IS relevant, since it could probably mean that the API hasn't been released because the bluetooth stack hasn't taken its final form; meaning that we could still see OUR issue resolved sometime in the future.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Bluetooth audio quality concerns

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.