Bluetooth audio stuttering on Sierra

i have tried everything, reseting prom eprom, reseting bluetooth, changing bitrate, everything i could find on support...

the solution was: go to a store and buy USB bluetooth dongle (i bought the smallest i could find for 8$), plug it in and macbook automaticly shuts down onboard bluetooth and uses the new usb, after that music plays perfectly without any stutters at all!

I had the exact same experience. After reading your post I repeated exactly these steps.

1) (using the debug menu by holding down shift+option then clicking the Bluetooth menu) Remove all Bluetooth devices

2) Reset the Bluetooth module

3) Reset NVRAM and SMC without logging in after restart

4) Reboot one more time from log-in screen

5) Log in and turn off the wi-fi

6) re-add the Bluetooth audio device.

After testing the Audio there is no more stutter. Turn on the wifi and everything is still fine.

I've had the same issue for ages. But finally got it fixed today!

I have a MacBook Pro 13in Late 2011 with High Sierra 10.13.3 and Dr Dre Beats Wireless Studio Headphones. They work fine with all other devices (Windows 10 laptop, iPhone, iPad, etc), so knew it is my MacBook.

I first reset my Bluetooth:

- Press Shift+Option and click the Bluetooth icon at the top.

- Go to Debug>Reset the Bluetooth Module

- Restart

That didn't work.

So I then I reset my PRAM and SMC

For PRAM:

- Shut down MacBook

- Press the power button and then immediately Command+Option+P+R and hold while your grey screen comes up, and continue to hold until your MacBook restarts again. When that grey screen comes up again, release.

Then for the SMC:

- Shut down MacBook again

- Keep the power cable plugged in (for my model)

- Press Shift+Option+Control on the left +Power button

- Release

- Start up your MacBook

For full info on these instructions, read: How, When, & Why to reset the PRAM & SMC on your Mac

This worked for me. Hopefully it works for you too!

If you spend a few minutes reading through the posts, you will see the problem is not related only to High Sierra. It's been around for a while. I have found that disconnecting one or more of my other bluetooth connected devices seems to alleviate the problem. Generally I have a keyboard, mouse and trackpad connected. When I add a speaker as well, that seems too much. If I disconnect one of my input devices, the problem goes away.

I did the fix suggested by simonnnnn:

This is what worked for me.

I cleared my bose off the mac list as well as cleared my mac off my bose bluetooth headset.

Hold shift and option and click on the bluetooth icon top right on MacBook pro. Debug option should show up, I reset/cleared everything in there and then restarted my computer. Then reconnect headset and it works without dropping the audio every 15 seconds. Link with pictures below.

It worked for me as well. But one thing is clear, some fixes work and others don't. It is a huge headache.

http://osxdaily.com/2015/12/15/reset-bluetooth-hardware-module-mac-osx/

This is what worked for me.

I cleared my bose off the mac list as well as cleared my mac off my bose bluetooth headset.

Hold shift and option and click on the bluetooth icon top right on MacBook pro. Debug option should show up, I reset/cleared everything in there and then restarted my computer. Then reconnect headset and it works without dropping the audio every 15 seconds. Link with pictures below.

http://osxdaily.com/2015/12/15/reset-bluetooth-hardware-module-mac-osx/

Give this a shot guys. I completely don't know how it worked just saw it in another forum. If you need iCloud then report the issue to Apple for a more reproducible issue they'd listen to. But give it a shot please and report back here.

Turn off iCloud Sync:

System Preferences > iCloud > Uncheck iCloud Drive (follow instructions) > Retry bluetooth

I had this issue. I used Method 4 in the following article:

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/02/01/experiencing-bluetooth-problems-on-your- mac-try-this/

Anyone else still having this issue? It is occurring when I bring my phone close to my Macbook - if they stay seperated - all is OK.

I am also experiencing this very frustrating issue on 10.12.6. I don't know if this is a helpful clue or not, but if I disable wi-fi, then the stuttering goes away. Obviously this cannot be considered a 'solution', especially if you want to stream audio via wi-fi, but I was hoping it might help with the diagnosis... Anyone else experience the same thing?

After over a year of similar trouble had success with Terminal command:

sudo killall coreaudiod

via: https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/5q2kbl/fix_macos_sierra_bluetooth_stutter/

Same problem here. Very annoying and after al lot of googling and reddit, still no solution found. Problem does only occur with bluetooth connection. Headphones with wire no issues so far.

- I tried debug>reset bluetooth module

- I tried this: https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/5q2kbl/fix_macos_sierra_bluetooth_stutter/

It seems to be an difficult issue to fix. That is why I consider buying a usb bluetooth adaptor to be able to listen to music more stable again. Anyone experience with an external dongle? Which one to buy?

my setup:

- macbook pro med 2012 (non retina)

- High Sierra version 10.13.3

I am on macOS Sierra, and having the exact same issue with my Amazon Echo. All is good until the Magic Keyboard is paired, then the audio stutters.

Thank you for sharing the link: http://osxdaily.com/2015/12/15/reset-bluetooth-hardware-module-mac-osx/

Indeed, this helped solving this issue on MBP mid 2015 - Sierra. BTW, resetting SMC did not resolve it.

I have this exact same problem since upgrading to High Sierra. It is more than frustrating and frankly unacceptable as I use my blue tooth speaker to play background music pretty much 24/7.

I too tried everything, pairing my mac book air to other blue tooth speakers yielded same problem, pairing other devices to the b. t. speakers proved that the speakers were not the issue. I then did the unpairing step and still have the same problem. The problem is magnified when I am using my mac book air. I would have never upgraded to High Sierra because blue tooth connectivity is very important to me (I subscribe to Apple Music). Anyone know of any fixes in addition to the trouble shooting that I have tried? It would be greatly appreciated.