Bluetooth audio stutters horribly when using A2DP

[Mikko Rauhala]

Bluetooth audio stutters horribly when trying to use A2DP. The HSP profile works okay, but the quality is horrible then.

This has been the case for as long as I can remember (at least from Ubuntu 14.04 days or so, probably earlier), with multiple laptops and multiple Bluetooth headset models. Everything works fine with Android, so it's the Bluez/Pulseaudio/Alsa stack, whichever component.

At present time using Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with latest upgrades, Bus 002 Device 010: ID 04bf:0309 TDK Corp. Bluetooth USB dongle and a ATH-M50xBT headset but as said, this is hardly specific to these versions and pieces of hardware.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-72.81-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-72-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.9
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/pcmC1D0c: mjr 8306 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: mjr 8306 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: mjr 8306 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/timer: mjr 8306 f.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Tue Dec 24 21:48:29 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-09-20 (825 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 17.04 "Zesty Zapus" - Release amd64 (20170412)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Title: Bluetooth sound card not detected
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to bionic on 2018-07-04 (538 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 12/01/2015
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A17
dmi.board.name: 0T21G7
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 9
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA17:bd12/01/2015:svnDellInc.:pnLatitudeE7440:pvr00:rvnDellInc.:rn0T21G7:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct9:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Latitude E7440
dmi.product.version: 00
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[John (jfilcher-w)]

This bluetooth stutter bug still exists in 20.04. On my system, it stutters when the screensaver tries to kick in and music is playing from the files on a hard drive. Currently using Clementine, but seems to occur regardless of which music player is being used.