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Updated A2DP profiles in iOS 4.3 causes problems?

Hi,

I've been using the Nokia BH-905i Bluetooth headset together with my iPhone 4 since the day I bought it. Excellent sound quality and all the controls - volume up/down, start/stop, next/previous and answering calls - all worked flawlessly until... I upgraded to iOS 4.3. Now the sound is to about 90% shifted to the left earcap when listening to music or answering calls. Tried them on a friends iPhone 4 that still runs iOS 4.2.1 and no problem.

I have reste the phone and the headset a number of times but to no avail, the problem is still there.

Anyone else experiencing something similar after upgrading to iOS 4.3?

Any ideas if there is a fix?

best regards,

/Max

iPhone 4, iOS 4, version 4.3

Posted on Mar 10, 2011 3:28 AM

59 replies

Apr 8, 2011 11:24 PM in response to MaxMad

I found a similar solution that does not require you to unpair the iPhone and the BH-905i headset. I have figured out how to make this work every single time.

Assuming iPhone is already paired with the headset:

1) Make sure Bluetooth is disabled on iPhone.

2) Turn on headset by pressing and holding on to the multifunction button until the you hear the tone indicating the headset is on.

3) Leave the headset alone for about 5 seconds (not sure if this step is necessary but the idea to prevent iPhone from automatically connecting to it).

4) Enable Bluetooth on iPhone.

5) At this moment, the headset should not be connected to the iPhone. If it does, repeat the previous four steps again.

6) Press the play button on the headset (not the iPod player on iPhone). This should cause the headset to connect to the iPhone.

The above steps not only fix the unbalanced sound issue, it also resolve the issue of missing bass booster and stereo widening. In fact, one way to figure out if the BH-905i is properly connected to the iPhone is to try activate bass booster and stereo widening. If you press the multifunction button to enable bass boost/stereo widening, and after a few presses, all your hear is just a long single beep after each press, then the headset is not connected "properly."

Apr 9, 2011 12:53 AM in response to MaxMad

Update to my previous post:

My previous post assumes the last device connected to the BH-905i headset was the iPhone. If the last device that connected to the headset was not your iPhone (may be it was a Mac or iPad), follow these steps:

Assuming iPhone has already been paired (and not yet connected) with the headset:

1) Turn on BH-905i headset.

2) Turn on Bluetooth on the iPhone.

3) In the same Bluetooth menu on the iPhone, select Nokia BH-905i (or any other headset you want to use). This will make the iPhone connect to the headset.

4) Turn off Bluetooth on the iPhone.

5) Wait a few seconds before turning on Bluetooth on the iPhone. Make sure headset does not connect automatically to the iPhone.

6) Press the play button on the headset (not the iPod player on iPhone). This should cause the headset to connect to the iPhone.

The idea of this solution - and the one in my previous post - is to allow the headset initiate a connection (by pressing the play button on the headset) to the iPhone, instead of the other way round.

Message was edited by: Changren Yong

MaxMad Author

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Apr 11, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Changren Yong

Hi Changren,

Just tried your workaround and I can confirm that it works also for me. Thanks for sharing that!

It's going to be interesting to see whether Apple will ever acknowledge the problem and fix it in a firmware update or not. Meanwhile Changren's workaround will do.

regards,

-Max

fwille

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Apr 17, 2011 3:59 AM in response to Changren Yong

Hello Changren,

Its working again after I did exactly what you wrote in your last Post. Important is to follow the right steps 1 to 6.

Thank you so much for solving this problem for me. 🙂

Frits

Apr 18, 2011 3:55 PM in response to fwille

You are very welcome! I basically clarified the post by applefan32. When i was going through his steps, it was not all that clear to me what he meant when he wrote "Click on play till it begins to play." Now i know, he meant the Play button on the headset.

Apr 19, 2011 12:17 PM in response to MaxMad

This issue is not resolved in iOS 4.3.2. Just installed it and tested.

ashumeet

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Apr 25, 2011 2:21 PM in response to Changren Yong

Hey Changren,

I am frustrated with exact similar problem and I found a very easy and fast fix.

1: Press Power+Revind+Volume Down Button at the same time once (This will reset the headphone and restore it to power off state immideatly).

2: Turn on the headset by pressing power button for 6s, within 1s delay between step 1.

3: Give iPhone a 5s delay to find the headphone. (or if it dosen't go to setings and connet the headphone manually )

it will restore the sound just fine (Untill the same problem happnes again .. 😟 )

Thanks

Ashumeet Singh

Apr 25, 2011 2:37 PM in response to ashumeet

Hi Ashumeet,

Your step 1 basically performs a reset of the headset. I followed your steps but could not get it working. I am not exactly sure if performing the reset (which requires pressing the multifunction + rewind + volume down buttons) is necessarily easier than the method discovered by applefan32. So far, his method - which i explained later in greater detail - works for me each and every time.

ashumeet

Level 1

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Apr 26, 2011 7:06 AM in response to Changren Yong

Hey Changren,

I find reseting headphone easear coz I don't have to take my phone out from my pocket. I can do that right form my headphone. I tried your meathod too and it works perfectly for me too.

I have recently have gotten this headphones, and it seems you have these headphones for a while ... do you have any idea by when Apple (or even Nokia) is saying that this issue will be resolve ??

Thanks

Ashumeet

Apr 26, 2011 2:19 PM in response to ashumeet

Hi Ashumeet,

I still don't understand how to get your method working.

In your step 2, pressing and holding the power button (aka multifunction button) for 6 seconds will put the headset in discovery mode. When the headset is in discovery mode, a device will not automatically connect to it. As such, you will have to take your iPhone out of your pocket and manually make it connect to the headset.

Are you sure we are even talking about the same issue here? The problem first brought up by MaxMad was the left side of the headset significantly louder than the right side and it's not possible to use the multifunction button to enable bass booster and stereo widening.

Just like you, i only got my headset recently. I have also notified Apple about this problem.

ashumeet

Level 1

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May 4, 2011 2:00 PM in response to Changren Yong

Hey Changren,

I was not clear in my instructions, I apologize. What I mean was to put reset the headphones and then power them back again and then press play button 3 times. By this way you don't need to take your iPhone out of your pocket and you can get the headphoens working again.

I actually went to genious bar and explained my issue and they replaced my iPhone. Now its 3 days since I got new iPhone and i have listned to more then 12 hours of music and this problem (of music suddnly stoping) didn't happen.

I am coming to beleave that it was hardware error in iPhone.

Thanks

Ashumeet Singh

May 6, 2011 5:33 PM in response to MaxMad

The same issues still exist in iOS 4.3.3.

OstiazZ

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May 9, 2011 3:45 AM in response to MaxMad

Hi everybody,

I'm facing the same issue with my BH-905i, it is so annoying.

I write to give a little piece of information: I know this is not a bug but a new feature, so it will not be solved unless we all gather together and tell Apple about it.

Starting with iOS 4.3, A2DP now uses compression "APT-X" instead of "SBC".

BH-905i uses SBC, so we're screwed.

I think it is unfair, they should at least leave the choice to the user.

For the moment, I will revert to 4.2.1.

I hope this will be fixed in some way, I propose to prepare a common email and send it all together to Apple.

Please let me know what you think.

Regards,

Carlo

May 9, 2011 9:56 AM in response to OstiazZ

Hi Carlo,

I am not questioning what you disclosed here. I am just wondering if iOS 4.3 and newer firmwares use "APT-X" instead of "SBC", and that's the reason why we are having this issue of the left side of the headset being noticeably louder than the right, why would the method i discussed in one of my earlier posts work?

OstiazZ

Level 1

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May 9, 2011 3:30 PM in response to Changren Yong

Hi Changren Yong,

I have to confess that I was skeptic that your method could solve the codec problem too, but it worked!

On BH-905i, if I connect using your method, then I can use the bass boost and stereo widening effects, which require SBC to work.

I think the reason could be that, if the iPhone starts the connection, it kinda "imposes" his codec, while if the headset starts it then it imposes its one.

This is so good news. You made my day!

Thanks,

ciao

Carlo

Updated A2DP profiles in iOS 4.3 causes problems?