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Sudden loud static noise on bluetooth headset

I'm using LG Tone+ (HBS-730) bluetooth headset on my MacBook Air mid13 on OS X 10.10.2 Yosemite.


Since a few days ago, while I was listening to music and such on my headset, sometimes, a loud static noise (max volume I think) started suddenly, which shocked me and led me to quickly pull the earpieces out. No other sound is recognizable since this static noise is so loud. The noise does not stop until the bluetooth is disconnected by either turning off the headset or the bluetooth module from mac. Turning the headset on again, it works again normal.

While the noise exists, if I mute the volume on mac, the static noise stops, but comes back when I increase the volume again. Volume control on the headset did not do anything.


I'm suspecting either the bluetooth module on the laptop or the bluetooth module in the headset is bad, but couldn't test with another headset as I don't have anything else. It happened 3 times for the past 3 days I have been using it.


MBA is a little bit over 1 year old and the headset is about 1.5 years old, no related problems were experienced in the past.


Does anyone have any clue or similar experience?

MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10), null

Posted on Jan 8, 2015 1:21 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 12, 2015 6:48 PM

Yes! I am experiencing the exact same thing. Same headset (LG Tone+, HBS 730). I have a MacBook Pro, from mid-2010, running 10.10.2 Yosemite.


It only started in the last few days, though I've been running Yosemite for a little while now. I had previous bluetooth issues with Yosemite, specifically that the audio would get out of sync with whatever video I was watching. Upgrading to a later build of Yosemite seems to have fixed that, though.


The loud static sound is new, though. Based on the fact that the headset works fine in every other instance I use it (I have two phones that I use with it frequently), I'm fairly certain the issue is with Yosemite.

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Mar 10, 2015 9:09 AM in response to jinkim608

I can confirm the loud static noise bug on the following machine:


MacBook Pro 13" Mid 2010

OS X Yosemite 10.10.2

Sennheiser Momentum Wireless M2 Black


I haven't updated my iMac 27" Mid 2011 and on 10.10.1 this loud static noise bug is not present, or at least it hasn't randomly occurred yet.


Hopefully 10.10.3 will be released soonish, since I hesitate to use it on my MacBook Pro for now after several almost heart attack moments.

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Mar 10, 2015 2:18 PM in response to jinkim608

I'm having this issue as well, with my MBP 15" late 2013 with Parrot Zik headphones... it seems like the static shows up when the OS has to do anything significant relating to graphics (I was taking a screenshot or dragging an image). The only way to fix it quickly is to disconnect the bluetooth device and reconnect. However, it's so random that I've stopped using my laptop and moved to my iPhone for music. But this is really annoying... hope someone from Apple reads these forums...

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Mar 10, 2015 2:24 PM in response to jinkim608

As with other folks, I have NOT experienced the traumatizing shock noise since I updated to the latest public beta 10.10.3 update (at least for over 3 days now). So I recommend you guys to update to that version.


Not sure if Apple is still internally, secretly testing, or they know it is fixed and staying quiet about it.

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Mar 11, 2015 7:53 AM in response to wumajia111

I'm also facing similar issue.


I use Bose Soundlink Bluetooth speaker with my Macbook pro and I hear static noise from my speaker suddenly at times when I switch between apps(iTunes, Safari Youtube, QuickTime player). This is frustrating as I use my speaker most of the times(i put on a timer and play music while sleeping). I see this problem only with my Mac and I never see such thing with my iPhone5 or iPad Air.


Hope Apple fixes this with an update soon.



Regards,

Sarath

Apple fanboy

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Mar 16, 2015 12:28 PM in response to grdh20

Hope so 😟

Have you tried it in first-hand?


I'm having the same problem.

Mac Air late 2012. Bluetooth with PHILIPS dock station.


It's getting more and more frequent and it seems related to how much RAM I'm using (it happens more frequently when working with a lot of memory involved).

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Mar 16, 2015 1:24 PM in response to morfacci

having same issue here:


MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)

Yosemite 10.10.2


Bluetooth headset: VKtech HV-800


Quite shocking when using headset. My co-workers must think I have some sort of personality disorder when I suddenly yell, "Ouch!" and whip my headset off.


😝


I have been able to stop it by simply selecting another sound device and returning to the Bluetooth device. It does seem to be related to CPU intensive tasks, as some times my machine is so hung up that I cannot do anything even, force quitting applications when this is happening.

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Mar 17, 2015 6:44 AM in response to jinkim608

Mostly for the record; I also have this problem.

Macbook pro mid 2009 + Harman Kardon bluetooth speaker.

This is the second serious problem I´ve had with bluetooth audio just the last 5 months. I also had the lag-problem that 10.10.2 fixes, but giving me traumatizing explosion instead.

I´ve been partly Apple-fanboy for years after frying my nerves being helpdesk in ms windows-environment for 10+ years. And my Mac has been the most stable technical device I´ve ever had, including cars, fridges and all! Thank you Steve, whereever you are! You proved humanity can make a stable, predictable, usable and, if one can save up some money, affordable computer. Over time anyway! :-)

But I guess it´s slipping away, even from Apple..

I recognize the "one bugfix creating another bug" - behaviour and the "there might be a workaround or halftested beta-patch for this issue here <link>" from the windows-envoriment. If you take the time and effort to (semi-legally) hack deep into the software, like competent linux-people sometimes do one usually find it´s because one or more programmer cut some corners somewhere. Sad it´s happening at Apple also now.

Well, I play music from iTunes, on low volumes, in the background. If my nice 90-year old neigbour dies from a heartattack from these max-volume white noise - explotions, is it legal ground to sue Apple for murder?..

(naahh, just kidding ;-))

Good luck finding the cases to these bluetooth-audio - issues Apple, please give it high pri because halfway fixes usually lead to new unpredictability. And, like Steve said, "everything is software", so I fear, if the software gets buggy the hardware will also start acting strange..

And Linux is still free and just as easy as MacOsX to install..

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Mar 17, 2015 1:58 PM in response to jinkim608

Macbook Air 3,2

Yosemite 10.10.2

Jabra BT620s


Anytime the CPU usage spikes, such as switching apps while I'm listening something in the background, the deafening white noise explodes.

Or even worse, it happens just by turning up the volume.

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Mar 17, 2015 10:26 PM in response to jinkim608

Throwing in my "me too", for what it's worth:


Late 2013 13" rMBP

Yosemite 10.10.2

Sony SRS-X2


It consistently happens when I run the Spyder monitor calibration tool, but it happens at other times too with no apparent trigger. Turning the speaker off, then back on again clears it. Thankfully I don't have Bluetooth headphones so have never had to suffer from this blasting directly into my eardrums!


Currently backing up my laptop prior to trying the 10.10.3 beta. Many thanks to whoever posted the suggested fix 🙂

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Mar 20, 2015 1:41 PM in response to Ondray Wells Jr.

I've noticed that my Beats Studio Wireless no longer seem to have independent volume control when using them with my Mid-2011 Macbook Air. Previously I could control the volume on each device separately which resulted in the capacity for overall higher volume. Now the volume controls on my laptop and my headphones do the same thing ... which has always been the case when using the headphones with my iPhone. I think this occurred when the OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 Public Beta was released ... but it could have been OS X 10.10.2. Anyone else notice this?


OAW

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Mar 23, 2015 8:15 AM in response to jinkim608

Also experiencing same problem here. Late 2009 21.5" iMac, running 10.10.2, using Sony DR-BTN200 headphones. Problem didn't exist at all when running Mountain Lion, only started occurring since upgrade to Yosemite. Completely unpredictable and quite deafening, regardless of actual volume setting. It's reached the point now where I'm almost scared to use my phones for fear of blowing either them or my ear drums! Very disappointing from Apple - really not good enough. Given Apple's popularity within AV and creative industries, a fix really needs to be found - and implemented - without delay.

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Mar 23, 2015 10:15 AM in response to zetanfan18

The loud static issue has definitely been corrected in the most current version of Yosemite, so I strongly recommend that anyone still experiencing this issue upgrade to that.


That said, for those of us who ARE on the most current version, have any of you noticed a small audio lag when watching a video? This is nowhere near as bad as the original audio lag issues I was experiencing (prior to the static problem), but I have noticed that the audio over bluetooth seems to very slightly lag behind the video. I'm not sure if that's just me and my computer, though.

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Sudden loud static noise on bluetooth headset

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