Get rid of 0.5s latency when playing audio over Bluetooth with A2DP

[Diego Carrera Gallego]

1) The release of Ubuntu you are using, via 'lsb_release -rd' or System -> About Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu 13.04
Release: 13.04

2) The version of the package you are using, via 'apt-cache policy pkgname' or by checking in Software Center
bluez:
  Instalados: 4.101- 0ubuntu8b1
  Candidato: 4.101-0ubuntu8b1
  Tabla de versión:
 *** 4.101-0ubuntu8b1 0
        500 http://es.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ raring/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What you expected to happen
The audio always is sync when i listen music on my bluetooth device
If i listen music or have a videoconference with skype.. it receive audio perfectly without delay.

4) What happened instead
 I experience a half a second delay when playing audio over Bluetooth with A2DP.
This makes watching movies not possible as the sound is not synchronised with the video.

+ If i listen music, then stop about 5 minutes and then restart to listen music, it gets work bad.
+ If i get a skype videoconference, it gets too much delay.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: bluez 4.101-0ubuntu8b1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-27.40-generic 3.8.13.4
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-27-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8.3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Aug 12 01:24:24 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-07-13 (29 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
InterestingModules: rfcomm bnep btusb bluetooth
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. UX31E
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-27-generic root=UUID=89d221ec-829a-456e-963d-ec7ac2c7d47d ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash rootfstype=ext4 vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: bluez
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/26/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: UX31E.210
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: UX31E
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrUX31E.210:bd12/26/2011:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnUX31E:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnUX31E:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: UX31E
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
hciconfig:
 hci0: Type: BR/EDR Bus: USB
  BD Address: 74:2F:68:CE:17:57 ACL MTU: 1022:8 SCO MTU: 183:5
  UP RUNNING PSCAN
  RX bytes:407502 acl:14820 sco:0 events:8796 errors:0
  TX bytes:7391611 acl:8717 sco:0 commands:45 errors:0

[Diego Carrera Gallego (diegocarrera2000)]

i found a similar problem reported in http://askubuntu.com/questions/145935/get-rid-of-0-5s-latency-when-playing-audio-over-bluetooth-with-a2dp

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[jpka (jopka)]

I also affected by ~0.5 s delay.
Unfortunately, BYL-918 device does not have other than a2dp profile, so switching not possible, and solutions in comment #2 not applicable.
A number of cheap adapters at online shops have BYL-918 IC.
Playing piano with 0.5 s delay makes cacophony.
Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
Thanks.

[jpka (jopka)]

Still not fixed...

$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=12.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=precise
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS"
$ uname -a
Linux ssd 3.13.0-32-generic #57~precise1-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 15 03:50:54 UTC 2014 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

[jpka (jopka)]

I obtain other receiver module, bc57f687a05 based (appears as BLK-MD-BC05-B). It provides two profiles, HSP/HFP and A2DP. So now i able to switch profiles, but it is not helpful. Switching between them only changes delay but not removes it. HSP/HFP gives 1/4 s but unacceptable sound quality. A2DP gives 1/2 s regardless of switching. Looks like not driver/OS problem, but unavoidable HW problem. I now wonder if someone (using any OS / HW) can get high quality sound via bluetooth without delays. Unless that, bluetooth considered as unusable at all for audio, and also, Kirk Shrewsbury's answer at link mentioned in #2, considered correct.
Thanks.

[Chozabu (chozabu)]

Similar experience here:

A2DP - often starts of with low latency, but seems to get worse over time - can get well past 0.5 seconds

HSP/HFP - not used much, except to switch to/back to lower latency in A2DP (which normally works, but often still leaves some lag)

[Niklas Keller (kelunik)]

Same issue here. More or less often small disruptions. Seems like those add up and create the latency. Currently using Ubuntu 15.10. Speaker works totally fine with my phone.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thank you for reporting this bug to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 15.10 (wily) reached end-of-life on July 28, 2016.
Ubuntu 13.04 (raring) reached end-of-life on January 27, 2014.
Ubuntu 12.04 (precise) reached end-of-life on April 28, 2017.

See this document for currently supported Ubuntu releases:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Releases

Please upgrade to the latest version and re-test.

[mokrates (mmolle)]

Still not working in 17.04.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

mokrates: Could you please log a new bug with your system details and a full description of the persisting problems? -> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bluez/+filebug

It's easier if we're dealing with bug reports logged against still-supported versions of Ubuntu.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for bluez (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]