Bluetooth audio in OSX Lion

Hey SunshineAG,

What headset are you using? Can you write out your exact steps to reproduce? I haven't seen anything similar to what you report. Very odd! thx

@gtmagnet,

I'm using a Jambox BT speakers by Jawbone, they connect as a set of BT stereo headset as they have a mic as well. (Have upgraded to their latest firmware as well, but as per below this is not an individual device brand problem.)

I'm not sure I can reproduce since it seems to change every day but here are some more info.

History:

- Upgraded to Lion problem started.

- Combined info from this thread and found a reset work around (see earlier post).

- Still problem when MBA woke up from sleep but could be worked around by turning of BT device and then turn it on again.

- Still some irregular problems but did not investigate further since I could get it to work for the most part.

- Installed 10.7.1 update problem reappeared. Again did the reset work around and it started to work again.

- Today with no changes at all I have the problem again and the power cycling on the BT device doesn't help.

So new procedure:

1. Got to BT Preferences, Advanced... Check 'Reject Incoming Audio Requests'

2. Turn BT off on MBA and BT device

3. Turn BT on on MBA and then on BT device

4. From the Menu bar Slecet BT device Use as Audio Device

5. Play video in iTunes (now the MBA is connecting to the BT device) and the audio is coming from the BT device

Back to having a working BT speaker again.

If I now put the MBA to sleep and then wake it up again the BT audio is disconnected and the internal speakers are on (which is correct). Turning on the BT audio again from the Menu bar BT... the audio gets connected and stays connected but the audio is stuttered, power cycling the BT device and again turning on BT audio the audio is ok in the BT device. This is all correct except for the stuttered audio.

Reverse the procedure and Uncheck 'Reject Incoming Audio Requests' and the problem reappears. (I also don't think this is the real problem but just something that helps as a work around. This is since the Jambox is unique in that it connects to the MBA as it is powered up, other headsets that has been reported to have this problem does not do that and the problem for them occurs when an app is making a connection to the active audio device.)

This problem is a moving target which indicates a software bug that is getting some indirect influence. Why would it change behavior from yesterday to today? A datestamp some where?! A memory position some where that has changed?! It is clearly a Mac OS X software problem since so many are reporting it with so many different devices. If this software is written in C++ I would say there is an uninitiated pointer somewhere, I don't know Objective C and how similar bugs are created there but I assume they are still.

When I say problem it means that the BT adiuo device is reported to have an error and is disconnected as per the popup in artfromeast longmeadow post of July 27.

Hope we get a fix to this soon instead of having to work out new work arounds everyday.

If you want more problem identification info maybe there is a way we can direct email or PM contact.

Have a good one and good luck.

--A

I too had trouble connecting the JamBox speakers because of a bug with bluetooth. I went in and unchecked the allow bluetooth device to wake up the computer. To pair I made sure the JamBox was powered down first. Then I turned on the bluetooth in the bluetooth menu "Setup Bluetooth Device". I turned on the JamBox and it worked fine. It even connected as a stereo unit. I went into the bluetooth menu to specify that the JamBox was to be used as an audio device.

It is working great as I type this. My only concern now is that the output of the JamBox seems lame. Not much louder than the built in speakers on the MBP.

JamBox goes back, oh well. An excercise in bluetooth connectivity. Good luck!

I just upgraded to Lion, 10.7.1 and have been trying to pair my Motorola Oasis HX520.

I can get the laptop to detect the device but then I get 'The device does not have the necessary services'

Would love anyone's help in getting past this error, though from this thread it sounds like I'll encounter more if I can get past this point:)

are you pairing this in the Bluetooth Setup Assistant or somewhere else?

Apparently I wasn't!! Now I am connected via the Bluetooth Setup Assistant! Calls via gmail are now working!!

Thanks so much!!

~J

After weeks since Lion has been releashed there has been absolutely zero response or acknowledgement from Apple regarding audio pathing via bluetooth. Lion has an obvious bug that is effecting people that use bluetooth headsets with their machines. Apple PLEASE FIX THIS ASAP or I am going to RAGE QUIT LION

RidiCULOS... Having same issues with my Logitech and Jawbone headsets. Get on the ball APPLE!!

Yup, bluetooth is a mess in Lion an I can't use my jambox. Bluetooth is is easy my iphone works perfectly, i know the future is mobile but this goes againt all those maketing pronouncements about "it just works" and "getting it right". Come on release a patch.

I am having the same issue. I have a Soundfreaq dock that I connect to via bluetooth to listen to music. The only way to get it to work is to turn off Bluetooth on my mac and turn it back on.

Same thing happens with my Mighty Mouse, it won't connect unless I restart bluetooth.

That same popup comes up with the "Bluetooth Audio Error Occurred", and when I turn it off, I can hear the Trash sound or some other system sounds that I guess wouldn't play when I had it turned on.

I hope a fix is on the way, it worked fine in Snow Leopard. I'm on a unibody macbook with the latest version of Lion.

Cheers,

Nick

Add me to the list of people having issues with Bluetooth and Lion after upgrading to 10.7.1. I have a Jawbone Jambox and when I tried to pair them, I kept getting interuptyed in the process with a pop-up warning that my Bluetooth Hardware was Off, would I like to turn it On? I click yes, then get the same warning again and again.

Oddly enough, this seems to be paired with the other undesired behavior I've been having with Lion. Althought I always want Bluetooth to be off unless I am using it for something (saves battery life, safer) it turns itself back on (I think after any kind of sleep or restart).

Annoying! I think I want my Snow Leopard back.

Same ptob here with an old MacBook. Pairing was tough, but finally got it. Sound quality was a joke tho. Interesting that the Jambox works so beautifully on any other device. Apple must be working on it's own wireless speaker.

It appears the problem is linked to the IOBluetoothA2DPAudioDriver.kext it has significantly changed since the snow leopard version and is most likely the root of all the bluetooth audio problems being plauged in lion

This is not my experience. I was completely unable to connect to the Jambox with our 2 year old Macbook until I updated the Mac OS. Then it suddenly connected (not sure what I did). That is when I was able to hear the Jambox. Sounded ridiculously bad.

I had no problem after deleting old paired items and starting fresh. I did turn off one of the selections about waking up when bluetooth was activated.

I had the JamBox going well with Bluetooth after removing the option to wake.

I fixed the volume issue on the JamBox by returning the unit to the vendor.