Bluetooth audio stuttering on Sierra

Thank you very much Khusie, I tried your suggestion but it is not working for me as I understood it:

* I verified that I was not using Bluetooth audio

* I verified that I did not have the Bluetooth Preferences window open

* I connected my device

* I then opened Bluetooth Preferences and closed it again.

* I then re-opened Bluetooth Preferences

I still hear significant stuttering, making sustained audio (in my case a streaming radio station) unlistenable.

Just realized that it's not actually helping. It helped at first, but later I could not get the stutter to stop. One thing that helps is closing any app that renders HTML (Safari, Mail). I don't know why, but I see a connection there.

OK, a little bit of digging showed me that somehow Google Software Update Agent is connected with all this - it showed up in the Bluetooth Explorer Event Log with a lot of errors. After removing the Agent (wiping it from the /Library/LaunchAgens and ~/Library/Preferences) there are no more errors in the bluetooth event log and the audio stopped stuttering.

I actually have a fix for this in my case, a very odd one. I noticed that if I keep the Bluetooth preference pane open my audio is fine (i.e. can just Cmd + H hide it and keep it running). The moment I quit/close out of the Bluetooth preference pane the audio goes stuttering.

I've been having this problem for a wee while in an iMac that has just been replaced. Just fired it up and the same problem exists. Until I added my Apple watch (to unlock the iMac) I had a magic trackpad, magic mouse, magic keyboard and UE Megaboom speaker connected. It worked fine. Added the Apple watch and it started cracking spitting and missing. Disconnected one and it cleared up. Reconnected and it came back. I've also been talking with Apple chat and just go this:

The official Bluetooth specifications state that seven is the maximum number of Bluetooth devices that can be connected at once. However, three to four devices is a practical limit, depending on the types of devices and profiles are used. It can cause degradation of the connection for some devices after 3 or 4. The official Bluetooth specifications state that seven is the maximum number of Bluetooth devices that can be connected at once. However, three to four devices is a practical limit, depending on the types of devices and profiles are used. It can cause degradation of the connection for some devices after 3 or 4.

Make of that what you will but it looks like Apple is wishing their hands of the problem.

Glad I am not the only one having this issue on OSX10.12.

The audio stuttering is worse than ever on my iMac, given the Magic trackpad/mouse/keyboard 2 are connected.

Just purchased the BeatsX and the stuttering is happening with those too, alongside other bluetooth speakers. The only way I can lessen it is by switching my keyboard, trackpad and mouse on and off again. The issue will then return if I type really fast or use the trackpad heavily.

Software quality has gone downhill in the last few years and this was not an issue on OSX10.11- so the "practical device limit" just seems like a ploy for them to not bother looking into this further.

At max I have 4 devices connected at one time, so this should not be happening!

I could not agree more ! I finally gave up. The only way I can listen without the stuttering is to connect to the Mac Mini with Parallels Access from my iPad which is connected to the Bose Headset. I have mouse, keyboard and trackpad connected and the addition of headphones should not overtax the system.

ONE IDENTIFIED ISSUE | Magic Mouse

Hi everyone,

I have encountered a bit of the same problem. Only difference in my case: before contacting Apple Support, I identified the source of my bluetooth headphone's choppiness - the Magic Mouse.

Bluedio U (UFO) wireless heaphones are great. I pair them with my ROG720 laptop altogether with a bluetooth keyboard (Logitech) and it works perfectly well. Also works perfectly on my Samsung S8, but then there would be no conflict with other bluetooth device paired at the same time.

After contacting the Apple Support - case #100213922509 - the conclusion was that the frequency of my headphones must be super close to the Magic Mouse's frequency. But since there is no way to modify the bluetooth frequencies on MacOs (Sierra), I am stuck with this problem.

Hope this can help you at least identify the source of your problem.

Regards,

Clément

Thanks for the suggestion on the mouse. It did seem to help a little.

I did discover something that I should have tried before now. I have an OWC Ministack with a 3 TB Drive that I use for my Time Machine backup and it was sitting on top of my Mac Mini 2011. I read an article about installing shielding inside the Mini to improve bluetooth range so I wondered if simply moving the Ministack to under the Mini might help my problem and while its not perfect at least now I can use my Bose QC 35 headphones. Still do not have much range but as long as I am within about 15 ft they are usable. I am sure that the fact that I always have at least three devices ( Trackpad, Mouse and Keyboard ) connected and a great deal of the time a fourth device has a lot to do with the problem.

I found that turning the speakers to internal speakers, then back to UE Boom helps, but yeah UE BOOM seems to have a lot of issues since Sierra. Mine just lags progressively more through the day until I 'reset' but switching to internal then back. It's annoying.

Been struggling with this today, a little disappointed to see that it's apparently prevalent and Apple has not addressed it. I've had my Taotronics BT headphones since Xmas and they've mostly worked okay with my MBP (flawless with my iPhone 6S). I had this stutter issue a few times before but generally it went away after a restart or dropping then re-pairing them to my MacBook Pro. Today I was playing music and they worked for one song before suddenly stuttering out; I tried disconnecting then reconnecting but the Mac wouldn't connect to them. I finally re-paired them but it didn't help the stuttering. I found this thread and tried several solutions (BT reset, leaving Prefs open, killing Handoff) but no joy. Then I disconnected my Magic Mouse (only other BT device) and the stuttering STOPPED. Connected it again and stuttering resumes. Thing is, I've used this mouse daily since I got the headphones with no interference issues, so what's suddenly changed? Could it have been one of the recent patches or Sierra updates?

I have this issue. I want to have a setup with

1. Bluetooth apple-wireless-keyboard

2. Bluetooth apple-wireless-trackpad

3. Bluetooth apple-wireless-mouse

4. Bluetooth Bose-Wireless-Headset (Ae2w)

I have experienced a lot of choppiness in the Audio. What I noticed if I disable all the devices other than headset (#1, #2, #3) then I dont have any choppiness.

The problem in my opinion is in the bluetooth prioritization of Audio stream over the other bluetooth streams. I am disappointed on how Apple does not cater to bluetooth audio.

Its a shame, now I use wired headsets.

I have Macbook Pro 13inch 2015, with Sierra on it.

I was having this exact audio stuttering issue with my bluetooth head phones that I have been using with this computer for a long time. I was also using a magic mouse. By disconnecting my mouse and reconnecting it went away.

Don't know if this will solve the same problem for anyone else but maybe.

Right after posting I got the issue to go away (at least for now.) The next day I paired my headphones first, then my magic mouse. Now the audio seems to be okay. So the only thing I can recommend is to try turning on your headphones first and ensuring the audio is clean before switching on your other BT devices – especially if you have a magic mouse or trackpad.

But I'm sure a lot of you have tried that and it's not working. There seems to be no concrete solution here, just random fixes that only work some people. Sierra is definitely one of the common denominators but it probably has more to do with our various Mac models and who made our BT devices. Frustrating to be sure.

Also note that 10.12.6 came out last week; I've upgraded and my BT audio is stable. Not sure if this issue was directly addressed in that update or not but I haven't noticed any problems. This will be the LAST Sierra update before High Sierra so if you are still having BT issues under it then either roll back to a stable OS X if you can or tough it out until HS is released...

L

After trying all the solutions gathered here and there to no avail, I went for a little testing session of the different parameters.

Well: the distance matters a lot. I moved my speakers closer to my macbook, like 1ft away (it's usually like 8ft away) and surprise, no stuttering!

It would also stutter when someone would pass between the mac and the speakers (in the 8ft position), so really the mac has a problem with interference and movement.

I guess the easy solution would be to leave the speakers on the bed next to us, but oh well.