Bluetooth signal is unusably poor

[ZachG]

Brand new Macbook Pro 12,1. Brand new Ubuntu 16.04 install (from scratch).

In MacOS the machine can connect to my bluetooth speaker from across the room and play A2DP no trouble at all. In Ubuntu 16.04 I have to literally hold up the macbook 1 inch away from the speaker to get it to connect and play, and even then it's a bit choppy. Turning off Wifi seems to help a bit, which leads me to think this is some kind of transmit power issue.

Syslog is chock full of warnings about skipping audio:

Aug 24 16:22:32 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 206099 us (= 36352 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:32 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 382089 us (= 67400 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:33 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 394108 us (= 69520 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:33 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 328125 us (= 57880 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:33 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 59087 us (= 10420 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:33 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 14036 us (= 2472 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:34 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 247134 us (= 43592 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:34 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 342190 us (= 60360 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:34 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 172035 us (= 30344 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:35 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 803140 us (= 141672 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:36 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 651085 us (= 114848 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:36 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 202043 us (= 35640 bytes) in audio stream
Aug 24 16:22:36 badassm pulseaudio[4655]: [bluetooth] module-bluez5-device.c: Skipping 265112 us (= 46764 bytes) in audio stream

$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=16.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=xenial
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS"

$ uname -a
Linux badassm 4.4.0-34-generic #53-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jul 27 16:06:39 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

$ lsusb
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05ac:8406 Apple, Inc.
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 05ac:0273 Apple, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05ac:8290 Apple, Inc.
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 045e:00db Microsoft Corp. Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 V1.0
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. Hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 046d:c52b Logitech, Inc. Unifying Receiver
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

$ hciconfig
hci0: Type: BR/EDR Bus: USB
 BD Address: 98:01:A7:A8:D4:6A ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
 UP RUNNING PSCAN
 RX bytes:5198 acl:2 sco:0 events:269 errors:0
 TX bytes:7021 acl:2 sco:0 commands:218 errors:0

[bluetooth]# show
Controller 98:01:A7:A8:D4:6A
 Name: badassm
 Alias: badassm
 Class: 0x1c010c
 Powered: yes
 Discoverable: no
 Pairable: yes
 UUID: Headset AG (00001112-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Generic Attribute Profile (00001801-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: A/V Remote Control (0000110e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: OBEX File Transfer (00001106-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Generic Access Profile (00001800-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: OBEX Object Push (00001105-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: PnP Information (00001200-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: A/V Remote Control Target (0000110c-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: IrMC Sync (00001104-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Audio Sink (0000110b-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Audio Source (0000110a-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Vendor specific (00005005-0000-1000-8000-0002ee000001)
 UUID: Message Notification Se.. (00001133-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Phonebook Access Server (0000112f-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 UUID: Message Access Server (00001132-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
 Modalias: usb:v1D6Bp0246d0525
 Discovering: no

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: bluez 5.37-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-34.53-generic 4.4.15
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-34-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME-Flashback:Unity
Date: Wed Aug 24 17:47:46 2016
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-08-24 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160719)
InterestingModules: rfcomm bnep btusb bluetooth
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro12,1
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.4.0-34-generic.efi.signed root=UUID=69f43848-5724-45c9-be2b-9be6abeec962 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: bluez
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/23/2016
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP121.88Z.0167.B17.1606231721
dmi.board.name: Mac-E43C1C25D4880AD6
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.board.version: MacBookPro12,1
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-E43C1C25D4880AD6
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP121.88Z.0167.B17.1606231721:bd06/23/2016:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro12,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-E43C1C25D4880AD6:rvrMacBookPro12,1:cvnAppleInc.:ct9:cvrMac-E43C1C25D4880AD6:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro12,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
hciconfig:
 hci0: Type: BR/EDR Bus: USB
  BD Address: 98:01:A7:A8:D4:6A ACL MTU: 1021:8 SCO MTU: 64:1
  UP RUNNING PSCAN
  RX bytes:5198 acl:2 sco:0 events:269 errors:0
  TX bytes:7021 acl:2 sco:0 commands:218 errors:0

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[JoaoH (joao-machado-family)]

I am not on a Mac or Ubuntu... but I have the same issue on Arch Linux, on a Dell XPS14 with Qualcomm Atheros Communications AR3012 Bluetooth 4.0

Been chasing this issue for weeks...sure would like to know what the fix is when someone finds it.

[ZachG (zgold550)]

This was filed nearly 7 months ago, just writing in to confirm that I've got the same machine running the same distro with the latest updates and the issue persists.

[JoaoH (joao-machado-family)]

It would seem to me that with the recent boom in BT devices, that the "importance" would be a little higher than "medium". I have a $250.00 set of Headphones that is basically useless and have to tether with an audio cable. I am to the point that I may have to go back top Windows and run the Linux apps in VM, it's that big of a deal breaker.

I am just saying...

[Kevin (kevinhaefeli)]

same here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1665579

[JoaoH (joao-machado-family)]

Well I found a work around for Manjaro/Arch linux... Hope this helps you guys on Ubuntu.

I had rebooted into my original install ISO USB drive to check something unrelated and decided to try the BT Headphones on the live ISO, and it all works perfectly! I can walk between rooms and the A2DP works perfectly!

So what I did was downgrade my Bluez & Bluez-libs from 5.44 to 5.41-2 and all is good in the bluetooth world!

Note: I believe Ubuntu and Arch use different version numbers...

[JoaoH (joao-machado-family)]

Well, that did not last long... back to the same problem....

[Oisín Mac Fhearaí (denpashogai)]

Same here with Ubuntu 17.04 and a pair of Aftershokz Trekz Titanium (or any other Bluetooth device I've tried in A2DP mode).

[dino.korah (dckorah)]

Such a pain this one! not an Ubuntu specific issue as so many other people have already confirmed!
I could reproduce it on a debian (jessie).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. This particular bug has already been reported and is a duplicate of bug 405294, so it is being marked as such. Please look at the other bug report to see if there is any missing information that you can provide, or to see if there is a workaround for the bug. Additionally, any further discussion regarding the bug should occur in the other report. Feel free to continue to report any other bugs you may find.