Sudden loud static noise on bluetooth headset

UPDATE: Not 100% certain, but the problem seems to be most likely to occur when switching between applications, particularly to Chrome from anything else. NO idea if this is actually linked or just occasional coincidence - anyone else out there noticed same/similar?

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.

Just run the system update check and (as I thought) I currently AM running the most current version of Yosemite. Despite that, have just spent a most frustrating afternoon having my eardrums assaulted countless times while trying to view video via QuickTime. So guessing that the 'fix' isn't fixed, sadly.

Have noticed the same slight audio lag on video too. I also run Boom which, while brilliant at enhancing system sound, seems to compound the lag issue further, so have taken to quitting it for viewing video. I don't think the small lag is just your system though, and sure I've seen others complaining of similar issues on the Apple forums.

Have to say that, overall, I'm not that impressed with Yosemite. Been an Apple user for best part of 20 years and this is the first time I've known one of their operating systems actually seem to take backwards steps from its predecessor. Teething troubles are not uncommon (if annoying), but there seem to be areas of this latest one that are just plain broken!

I am running the latest version of Yosemite 10.10.2 and am still getting the random bluetooth static noise blasts. It woke my wife and I up in the middle of the night again. The issue may have been fixed in the latest beta version but Apple still has yet to fix the issue in a general OS update. Apple is certainly not the same company they once were under Steve Jobs.

Hmm...interesting. I have not experienced this issue at all since the latest update. I'm not on that computer now, so I can't check, but are you able to get the exact version & build number for your install? I'm curious about what you have since I and several others on this thread have found that the latest version has corrected the issue. I'll double check my MacBook when I'm home tonight and post what I am currently running once I have the chance to check.

Ah, yes....that could be it -- I'm definitely on the 10.10.3 beta, so that probably explains the difference. I should say that 10.10.3 is what seems to have fixed the issue (though I still seem to have a minor lag in the audio/video).

MacBook Pro mid 2014 15" Retina and Sony DR-BTN200

I haven't used the headset in a while, and today - some time after music stopped, I was terrified that instead of Skype notifications, the spiking noise came out.

Turning bluetooth off/on fixed it for a while, but later, when playing music again - the noise came out continuously, rendering bluetooth useless.

I'll wait for official 10.10.3 rollout. It can't be that long to wait, can it?

Upgrading to the 10.10.3 beta fixed the static issue for me.

I haven't noticed any audio lag, but what I have noticed is that audio becomes awfully choppy under high-ish CPU load, regardless of whether it's over bluetooth or not. This was not a problem in 10.10.2, or if it was a problem, it's become much, much worse.

10.10.3 beta also fixed the white noise blasts for me, too. however, when using bluetooth audio, my apple wireless keyboard connects and disconnects repeatedly - to the point it's unusuable. i just updated to the new 14D113C build just released yesterday. and, now, not only does the bluetooth keyboard constantly disconnect as before, i also get crackling and dropouts in bluetooth audio at the same time. i also notice choppy-ness when under just medium CPU stress. so, it's all getting progressively worse.

i gotta say, i am pretty surprised how terrible apple engineers are doing with bluetooth. and, all of a sudden - it's not like it hasn't worked great in the past. i assume this is all for "handoff" - but, i mean... come on? you can't tap 4 more words in a text message on your phone before you need to switch to your mac? talk about a solution in search of a problem. not worth all these "normal" bluetooth use headaches. sorry apple, you dun goofed.

I'm with you on Apples' goof, pauls73. Time was that you could always rely on Apple products to be ultra-reliable. Sure, they've always been expensive, but that extra premium was (almost) justifiable by being offset against their superior quality. Starting to really question if that's still the case: the hardware's still nice and sexy, but there's a definite whiff of sytle-over-substance coming out of Apple's HQ at the moment. Bluetooth isn't new technology, so dunno what Apple think they're trying to 'improve' - have they never heard the old axiom, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Lots of people saying that 10.10.3 see,s to fix the white noise issue, but if it's at the expense of other bluetooth connectivity, then it's not a real fix. Guess I'll be waiting for at least the official release - but probably 10.10.4 beta!

I'm not trying to defend Apple or anything after deafening me and everybody near with loud static noise. But if the beta version is creating new problems, shouldn't this feedback go into the beta project, rather than (or besides) here? I mean, the beta is a test version, it0s not supposed to be fully stable. And it looks like they're trying to fix our issue, but that means they have to tweak and test more, with possible effects on related parts (such as other bluetooth items). I find these changes normal. What would be a big problem is if they make the official release with new issues added...

I joined the beta project but haven't installed the 10.10.3 yet, since I have no place to back up my disk currently. However. haven't had the issue for a long time, maybe thanks to trying hard not to overload my poor old CPU and memory...

yes, first day i used the original public beta, feedback immediately went in. they have a nice simple app specifically for it, and it even gathered bluetooth logs and diagnostics. the disappointment comes from after updating to a newer beta, the other problems are worse. i fully expect a beta to be unstable. i'd say near every system action is noticeably slower - probably due to any kind of logging or debug code, etc. but, in this specific case, they seem to be taking backwards steps to a solution.

considering how long the original noise blast problem has been going on, it just doesn't bode well for any kind of real progress. 28th of jan 10.10.2 came out. one full month later, the noise blast seems fixed with the first 10.10.3 public beta, but other bluetooth problems seem worse. now, 3 weeks after that, the new problems are worse than the first beta, not at all better. i think i am more surprised, than upset, at this point. this just doesn't seem like apple.

but, rest assured, bluetooth performance was the first thing i tested, and again sent feedback about. i hope they gather enough information from enough users to tune 10.10.3 to the performance fix everyone is hoping for. fingers crossed!

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)

OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 (14C1514)

Prestigio PBHS1 bluetooth headphones

Same problem.

EDIT:

I managed to reproduce the bug 100% of the times, using the monitor sleep hot corner while playing something. When display comes back on, the sound appears.

i've noticed that mine would always happen (when looking immediately after it happens to the bluetooth icon) that the system was trying to connect to 2 BT speakers at the same time..

Perhaps it's trying to default back to the main speakers, then going to static due to the audio going nowhere instead of to just 1 place.. (but i'm sure not everyone has multiple BT audio)

Ugh. Happening to me too, as of the last few OSX releases. Infuriating. How did this get past QA? How hasn't it been fixed yet?

Agreed that it seems to happen when I'm using a lot of system resources. I've also experienced a weird (possibly related?) bug under heavy resource usage where my sound suddenly becomes choppy and "slow motion" if I switch windows.