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

MacBook Pro 14 2021 + Bose NoiseCanceling 700

Sonoma didn't fix the problem

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......

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

Same here (MBP M1 Max 32GB) - and it has nothing to-do with Bluetooth imho.

No stuttering-free Apple Music listening with wired headphones currently! I wonder what I'm paying money for every month, not to mention the €3800 for the MacBook!

It feels like a memory management / audio driver issue. Problems seems to increase if many applications are open ...

This ***** really and must be fixed!!!

Apple M1 Pro / macOS Ventura 13.3.1 - the problem occurs randomly with certain bluetooth connected devices, it depends on the bluetooth service used.

I usually have the apple keyboard and mouse connected + audio

Apple keyboard - HID ACL

Magic mouse - HID ACL

Tested with:

EU Megaboom 3 - no problems - Bluetooth 5.0

Audio Technica ATH-SR50BT - no problems - Bluetooth 5.0

Harman Kardon Allure - intermittent problems, especially if you move the mouse or change the volume

HK Allure uses

• Bluetooth version: v4.2

• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.5

• Bluetooth transmitter power: <9dBm

• Bluetooth transmitter frequency range: 2.402 – 2.480GHz

• Bluetooth transmitter modulation: GFSK, π/4-DQPSK, 8DPSK

So the problem is somewhere in BT v4.2 communication < AVRCP A2DP GATT ACL >

The interesting fact is that using another HK product, HK Aura Studio, it works without any problems - the only difference is that Aura uses the AVRCP V1.6

Shame on Apple. It seems that lately they are trying their best to alienate their users through the idiocy of their engineers.

For me the stuttering is present even through MBP's built-in speakers, even when bluetooth is off, and my external monitor is disconnected. So it doesn't have anything with bluetooth. In my case at least.

For me it is an audio drive issue. It reliably happens when an app plays a notification sound. It could be Slack, Terminal, Zoom, etc, it doesn't matter. Whenever an app plays a notification sound, it causes sound/video from other apps to stutter and my keyboard and trackpad start to lag. It sucks.

I'm on Macbook Pro M1 14" 2021 and Ventura 13.4 (22F66). Audio in my Bluetooth-connected Bose QC45 headphones keeps stuttering once in a about one or few minutes repeatedly. The stutter sounds like a dropped packet or something - audio is lost and replaced with digital noise for a fraction of a second and then the playback continues. I tried mangling with Bluetooth settings, turning Bluetooth off and on, re-pairing devices, restarting laptop, switching off AirPlay handoff, but the issue still persists.

What I noticed is that the frequency of stutters is proportional to a number of Bluetooth devices connected. When I have only Bose QC45 connected - there re almost no stutters at all. But when I have add Apple Magic Keyboard connected, they become appear in 2-7 minutes or less often. Then if I add also Apple Magic Trackpad, they start repeating in almost every 40-150 seconds. It doesn't matter what is the sound source - browser tab or local wav is played in Quicktime, the whole audio playback stutters at once, when it happens.

I don't remember this issue a few months ago, so it looks like it was introduced in some of OS updates I believe.

Hope you fix this in some of future updates, because it's super annoying.

I have experienced this since upgrading to Ventura 13.6.3 on an M1 MBP. The only bluetooth devices I have connected other than 1 set of headphones are the magic trackpad and magic keyboard.

The bluetooth headphones aren't Apple but I have had it with two different mainstream brands.

But I did discover something that seems to fix it, albeit temporarily. If I go into the sound settings with input selected it fixes it. I don't change anything at all, just literally loading that menu for some reason.

"Good news, everyone!"

After weeks of struggle and hate towards Apple, I managed to fix this issue on my M1 Air. And it wasn't Apple's fault.

I was so angry that I contemplated buying a Linux laptop.

I ditched my Bluetooth headphones and worked on Mac speakers for some time.

Fortunately, after that transition, Zoom, being as stupid an app as it is, still keeps changing my audio device to "Apowersoft Audio Device," leftover from the Apowersoft Audio Recorder I installed and removed on my Intel Mac Pro a few years ago.

Digging deeper, I found it in the "Output & Input" section in Preferences >Sound and further in System Information > Applications listed as Kind: Intel and in System Information > Disabled Software.

If you can replicate the above (It can be a different device, anything that's not your mikes and speakers), you are on a path to success.

I will describe how it works with Apowersoft Audio Recorder, but your case can be similar.

What you need to do is find ALL files with "Apowersoft" and delete them (also remove them from the trash).

The Finder can only find some of them. You must use the terminal or this soft -> https://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/ (if you can't use a terminal, that app helps you, and you earn more than 6$ an hour, you should consider buying a license. It saves you much more time ;)

If you use the "FindAnyFile" app, you will be required to grant it admin permission, and after it deletes all it can, a few files will still be shown. Thats OK. You can restart your Mac, and you are good to go.

Please let me know if it works on your devices. Good luck.

This is disappointing to say the least. Also tried all of the "fixes" and nothing works except not connecting more than two devices. Headphones, mouse, keyboard = stuttering audio in Music app. Disconnect keyboard, audio is fine. MacBook Pro M1 2021, latest Sonoma.

Hello mf_ent,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities. We would suggest booting the computer in safe mode. This will isolate anything app or software related that could be lending to this issue. Follow the steps per the Apple Support article: Start up your Mac in safe mode

Start up your Mac with Apple silicon in safe mode

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > Shut Down.

Wait for your Mac to shut down completely. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and any lights (including in the Touch Bar) are off.

2. Press and hold the power button on your Mac until “Loading startup options” appears.

3. Select a volume.

4. Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.

The computer restarts automatically. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

Let us know the outcome, and we can go from there if needed.

Best regards!

I agree with you that it is not something you can fix "on your Mac," but it is fixable.

It is almost 2 months from when I applied my fix from the post -> How to fix choppy audio on MacBook Pro wi… - Apple Community

and it's still working.

I'm thinking that Apple just waits until all 2.4Ghz networks die (will be upgraded to 5Ghz or wifi6), and then everything should work flawlessly :)

In addition to the above, I want to spill my frustration.

This is the last Mac I own!

It is absurd to pay this amount of money and not be able to attach as many devices as I want and need. The fact that I can't connect more than one external screen to my MacBook Air is also absurd.

I don't need a MacBook Pro. I love the silence of M1 Air, and I can swallow its price.

There is no perfect "laptop". There is no perfect OS.

For quite some time, I thought that MacOS was the least bad, but it just started losing. It's no longer worth the "premium"!

I'm returning to Linux for my next Upgrade.

I have the same experience with the follow hardwares.

MacBook Pro 14 M1 Pro

If I connect more than two bluetooth devices of the list below. My audio stutters as it feels like all three devices are fighting for bandwidth.

• Sony XM5 (bluetooth headphones)
• Nuphy Air75 v1 (bluetooth keyboard)
• Razer Naga Pro (bluetooth mouse)

My work around is either switch one of them in wifi mode (which is currently default to my Windows PC). Or wired mode.

My HK Allure, is paired only with my Macbook pro in this moment. deleted from my iPhone.

The problem is still present at the same rate :(

ps. on this aspect Windows win the battle

Unsolved, ditched bluetooth and went back to 3.5 jack