How to fix choppy audio on MacBook Pro with Bluetooth devices?

Same issue. I can't believe the amount of $$$ for a device that can't handle 3 bluetooth devices at one time.

I read in another forum, that this happens if there are more than two devices connected via bluetooth. Sure enough I also have mouse, keyboard and speaker connected. Switching the mouse to usb "fixed" the problem. @Apple: Please look into this issue. Happened to me after upgrading to 13.1 on m1 max.

just to clarify: 3 bluetooth devices make the sound choppy, 2 bluetooth devices and it works.

I'm seeing what jtstreamer experienced in that it's tied to the number of bluetooth devices. Unfortunately for me, it's limited to bluetooth connection.

Apple Keyboard & Apple Mouse + bluetooth headset (oddly, for all but 1 of my headsets) - stuttering.

Turn off Keyboard - still stutters.

Turn off Mouse also - no stutters.

Turn back on Mouse - instant stutters.

This is not an "extreme" configuration, so hopefully they fix it soon. I'm on Ventura.

I'm seeing the same here. I have a 2020 M1 MacBook Pro (Sonoma 14.3) with a bluetooth keyboard and Apple Trackpad.

When I connect a Bluetooth speaker (Anker Soundcore 3), the speaker stutters.

If I turn off either the keyboard or trackpad, the stuttering immediately stops.

If I turn the device back on, the stuttering returns within seconds of the device re-establishing the Bluetooth connection.

I could understand if this were a problem with five or more devices, but a setup with keyboard, mouse/trackpad, and speaker or headphones seems so basic as to be standard.

How can we escalate this? Still unsolved with Ventura 13.2.1

+1

still suffering with this every day.

I even bought a new mouse with a USB-C dongle to minimize the pain but this is still a ridiculous problem.

+1

Did someone find a solution to this problem? I cannot find anywhere in forums, it's sad that it takes so much time for Apple to fix the problem.

I confirm, absolutely the same. The sound should only be on the second device, with three devices it stutters.

I found a solution that might work for you. If your headphones are connected to two devices at the same time, e.g., iMac and iPhone, disconnecting and completely removing them from one device will significantly improve the audio quality. I was able to reduce the stuttering of my Bose QuietComfort 45 from once every 3 minutes to once every hour by using them exclusively with my iMac. I removed them from my iPhone's list of Bluetooth devices and also deleted the Bose app to prevent it from reconnecting.

Right now I have five Bluetooth devices connected to my iMac, including the Bose headphones, so, at least in my case, having multiple devices connected to the machine wasn't the culprit.

I also don't have interference issues because I only started experiencing severe stuttering after upgrading to macOS Ventura (13.3.1a) from Big Sur and the arrangement of the Wifi router, USB hubs, and all Bluetooth devices in my study remain the same throughout this stuttering ordeal.

For your information, I tried the following recommendations to no avail:

• Delete the Bluetooth preference, i.e., com.apple.Bluetooth.plist.
• Factory reset the bluetooth settings using sudo pkill bluetoothd.
• Remove and re-add the Bose headphones.
• Disable AirPlay Receiver

I also experience stuttering with AirPods Pro, but I'm reluctant to use AirPods exclusively on one device. If you don't have any other Bluetooth ear/headphones and are tired of your AirPods stuttering, you might want to try the above suggestion too.

Let me know if this helps!

Yes @Apple this is an issue a lot of us are facing. I have a keyboard, trackpad, and AirPods connected and randomly everything thats bluetooth including the pointer and audio will stutter. Please investigate. Using 16" M1 Pro on 13.2.1

This still occurs on my M2 Max and presumably the M3.

The only solution was to not use bluetooth keyboards and mice. I switched to the USB receivers for both my devices and the problem is resolved.

It's crazy that this is still a consistent problem.

Just updated from Monterey where I never had this issue, to Sonoma, and this is happening EVERY day, happens with Airpods Pro with No other bluetooth devices connected, happens with wired headphones no other bluetooth devices connected. I have powered off, restarted, checked for updates, and nothing is fixing this issue.

Base M1 Pro MBP 14 just updated to 13.3 -- still an issue :)

I also have this issue, it's so frustrating. They changed my motherboard thinking it was something off with the hardware and the problem still persist, this might be my last macbook...

Unfortunately none of these solutions work. Resetting NVRAM, unpairing-pairing bluetooth devices, etc. I had had the same problem with 2 different Macs on all of my BT headphones (AirPods Max + AirPods Pro 1/2). Many people complain about the same problem on the internet. Clearly something is broken at drivers/OS level......