2026 - Bluetooth is still awful, it's incredible
Posted by wijeda@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 150 comments
1000 euros mainstream phone (pixel 10 pro), 300 euros mainstream earbuds (Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds), 3.5k euros maintstream laptop (macbook pro m1 max)
And still, the tech is just awful to use.
I'm on a Teams call/google meet on the mac, I get a simple notifications on the pixel, and poof, no sound from the mac anymore, and it doesn't come back, my only solution is to shutdown the earbuds by putting them in their case, closing it, and reopening them. It's crazy.
In the street, simply wanting to connect my earbuds to the phone, nothing else, nope.
No error message, nothing, just no
Again, shutting down the earbuds, restarting the phone, disconnecting the earbuds and reconnecting them frantically, and then suddenly, it reconnects.
It's so painful, any objective reason why?
Noreng@reddit
Pairing bluetooth audio to multiple source devices at the same time is always painful in my experience. It's better to just turn off bluetooth on the phone if you want to use the headphones/earbuds with a laptop.
JezSq@reddit
Yet AirPods do it flawlessly between Apple devices. But Apple doesn’t want any guests inside this closed garden.
peter_seraphin@reddit
As it should be
grumble11@reddit
Half the reason why apple stuff plays nice is because they have so much control over their environment. Windows is being tortured by having to be everything to everyone, weak all kind of third party stuff that's both half-broken itself and can cause weird conflicts.
Apple can do way more quality control and it shows. It still isn't perfect.
Honestly MS needs to enforce more quality control on their ecosystem as well - a lot of firmware and software is just junk. They have an initiative to do that, though I suspect it's mostly to address sleep issues for laptops.
VideogamerDisliker@reddit
Why should they? They developed the tech. They’re a private company, they’re not out here developing new tech for the good of humanity
allthebaseareeee@reddit
Doesn't apple cheat by running a bunch of priority shit when its apple to apple connectivity?
Airpods fall apart from a performance point a view when you use an android or windows machine.
yodeiu@reddit
what do you mean they cheat? is implementing a good system considered cheating?
allthebaseareeee@reddit
They don't align to the Bluetooth standard, propitiatory shit is never good in the long term.
steepleton@reddit
Tbf it’s not their responsibility to fix everything else. Android could quite easily fix this for their ecosystem if they were customercentric
NapsterKnowHow@reddit
Samsung has fixed it. Switching between my Galaxy phone and tablet is flawless
Bee040@reddit
IF you're using Samsung headphones. I've got Galaxy Buds Pro 3 and Sony XM5s and the easy switching only works with Samsung's buds
NapsterKnowHow@reddit
Which is the same for Apple...
TheFKTard@reddit
isn't that the same as apples case
Bruvvimir@reddit
Samsung also does on their devices.
JezSq@reddit
I remember some manufacturer wanted to access this closed “channel” on Apple devices and got rejected. And of course it makes sense. Android definitely could solve it, but since there are thousands of different Bluetooth devices and smartphones, it’s quuuuuite a challenge.
HikerRemastered@reddit
Most don’t want guests inside their closed gardens.
Apple isn’t the only ones to do this, and they weren’t the first either.
Galaxy buds pairing seamlessly with Samsung phones, Surface keyboards and pens tuned for Surface hardware, even Xbox controllers having better Windows integration.
Sony is probably the most direct predecessor to what Apple does today - proprietary Memory Sticks, MiniDisc, their own cables and connectors, Betamax.
Apple didn’t establish the concept, they redid the execution and the polish. They made the locked garden feel like a luxury rather than a trap, which is genuinely diggetent. When Sony did it, people felt annoyed. When Apple did it, people felt like they were getting something premium.
Not defending Apple here, just saying if someone is genuinely principled about open ecosystems, fine - but then they should be equally annoyed at Samsung, Microsoft, Google, Sony, and everyone else doing the same thing. The people who single Apple out specifically are usually just expressing a preference dressed up as a principle.
nukem996@reddit
Sony works very well with multipoint. I use it with my Pixel, Linux laptop, and work Macbook all the time.
Relliker@reddit
I have WH XM5s with multipoint and they have the exact issue OP describes with refusing to switch off of streams as needed until power cycled or the device in question has it's BT manually disconnected/disabled. Pixel/Linux/Work Linux desktop.
tarmacjd@reddit
WH XM6 fixed this (I know it doesn’t help you, but they finally got it figured out)
Boreras@reddit
It works pretty well except some chrome tabs kidnap the audio with js or something, making it impossible to switch. There's a little program to switch audio sources by hotkey on Windows (audioswitcher or something), making it fine. My phone never kidnaps audio.
ChinChinApostle@reddit
Maybe it's just because I didn't RTFM, but I have had to sometimes use the sound connect app to manually switch to my laptop for my XM5 buds.
996forever@reddit
Does it? My WH1000s are terribly inconsistent
AveryLazyCovfefe@reddit
Yeah I have WF-XM5s and they work great in multipoint.
JezSq@reddit
Earbuds or XM models?
nukem996@reddit
WF(earbuds). The XM4 I have works great but are single point only.
ScopeCreepStudio@reddit
Yeah the multipoint is pretty good, my complaint with them is how often they don't turn on
Tech_Philosophy@reddit
Flawlessly is a....strong word, in the case of airpods correctly switching between apple devices.
BadMofoWallet@reddit
For me it’s pretty much flawless… I can’t speak for others but if I have my AirPods in and I start using my iPhone to watch a reel or something, I can go right back to whatever show im watching on my iPad seamlessly as long as the audio stops playing on my phone (and it’s literally as instant as soon as I press play)
WeepingAgnello@reddit
Nope, bluetooth can suck on Apple too, even with airpod pros. Doesn't happen often, but when it does, its horrendous. We need better.
iluvchromosomes@reddit
It can, but usually doesn't. Works perfectly 99% of the time.
Apple does Bluetooth better than everyone else. Technical issues are rare, consistent functionality is the norm. Outside of Apple, this is reserved.
What convinced me was when I was setting up an iPad mini while listening to music with my iphone and airpods. The airpods seamlessly switched to the ipad when I started a youtube video on the ipad.
Microsoft and Google could never.
Bruvvimir@reddit
I'm not sure why this is downvoted. It's accurate.
OliveBranchMLP@reddit
only really cuz iCloud integration, tbh
crshbndct@reddit
Isn’t Apple allowing other devices to add the w1 chip for connection now too?
rainbowclownpenis69@reddit
Which is why everything inside works so damn well. Choices are cool, but you have to deal with the tradeoffs. I will take the seamless iPad, iPhone, Macbook, AirPod and Apple Watch integration over any janky setup of random brands.
dabocx@reddit
I suspect that apple is able to do it because there are so few devices they have to get it flawless on.
Open it up to thousands of diffrent phones and headphones and good luck keeping the same experience
Educational_Yard_326@reddit
All Apple devices have an H2 chip
Prince_Uncharming@reddit
Even Apple can’t do it flawlessly.
My AirPods keep automatically connecting to my wife’s iPad if I didn’t use a different device because they don’t give any option to never automatically connect. The only options are Connect Automatically (Always), or Connect Automatically when last connected to that device.
So if she starts using her iPad, and then I put my headphones in to leave for the gym, it’ll just snag her audio. They don’t give a “never automatically reconnect” option, which is super frustrating.
dabocx@reddit
Does your wifis ipad have its own icloud account or are you sharing one?
iluvchromosomes@reddit
That's because you are using the same iCloud account on both devices.
One of you needs to get your own account.
newgalactic@reddit
This is a major cause.
For best results, only pair bt devices to one source.
Earbuds to phone. Laptop to wired headphones.
AnyStupidQuestions@reddit
Or have different headsets for each, this was the route I took
Varadorm@reddit
Neah. I have my Oneplus buds switching seamlessly between my phone and tablet. Both android, both recognized them almost instantly, no problem since. When I have a incoming phone call, even though I am on the tablet it cuts of the tablet sound and takes the call. Very painless
techysec@reddit
The ones that do it well tend to have a side-channel BLE connection which allows a persistent “control message” connection to all paired devices. Hence why you sometimes see an additional device listed when pairing headphones.
DKlurifax@reddit
My OnePlus buds works flawlessly. Multiple devices and near instant connection. All other devices are android and windows though, don't know if that matters.
Plank_With_A_Nail_In@reddit
Its not part of the Bluetooth spec that's why.
Overclocked1827@reddit
It's not though. I'm not using multipoint on my earbuds and device swapping never works right away, you have to do that several times over.
SchighSchagh@reddit
And if I have a Bluetooth watch I want to keep connected to my phone, just fuck me I guess.
Comp625@reddit
This. The same problem happens to all of my devices that can do BT from multiple sources.
Beatus_Vir@reddit
Right. When I've only ever connected a Bluetooth device to the same source repeatedly the pairing is always successful or automatic. All my problems have come from juggling multiple devices.
labe225@reddit
I just don't even try to connect to multiple device
I have XM-5s I'll wear around the house when I'm working from home and want to listen to podcasts or whatever.
If I need to join a call for work, I just plug in the aux cord.
Elizabeth-WildFox886@reddit
My Sony xm5 just seem to work fine with iPhone and windows pc
wijeda@reddit (OP)
Yeah I mean I would almost do that but then I loose my connection to my smartband
Gnash_@reddit
No one here is giving an actual technical reason as to why Bluetooth Audio sucks so much, even now. But the answer has to do with the fact we are still using a protocol that was developed in the early 2000s. Something you need to understand with Bluetooth is that there are two completely separate and unrelated protocols in one spec: Bluetooth BR/EDR, and Bluetooth LE. Bluetooth LE is this newfangled thing that was inaugurated with the release of Bluetooth 4.0 in 2009. These two versions of Bluetooth can coexist in one single device relatively peacefully, but… Bluetooth Audio relies completely on Bluetooth BR/EDR, a spec that has been effectively frozen for almost two decades.
It wasn’t until 2022 that a Bluetooth LE version of Bluetooth Audio was finalized in the spec, with LE Audio. And that’s basically the “fix” you’re waiting for.
BR/EDR was built for a different world: one headset, one phone, low bandwidth, no bidirectional audio (stereo in + mic out). Today we’re trying to do multi-device pairing, seamless switching, low latency, and high bitrate audio on top of it. It works, but only because of layers of hacks.
The audio stack is super messy. A2DP supports multiple codecs (SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC…), negotiation between devices is inconsistent and blahblablah. Different vendors implement different priorities and fallback logic, so when something fails, it tends to fail in non-obvious ways.
Pairing is also more fragile than it should be. Both devices keep state, and when that state desynchronizes you get issues like “connected but no audio”, “paired but won’t reconnect”, etc. There’s no strong coordination layer to resolve that cleanly.
Also, lots of interferences. Everything is on 2.4 GHz. BR/EDR does frequency hopping, but in dense environments it’s still a lot.
LE Audio is supposed to fix a lot of this: new transport, LC3 codec, proper multi-stream support. But there’s still very few devices that use LE Audio in 2026.
TLDR: Bluetooth Audio “sucks” mostly because it’s hacks on top of hacks for use cases that were never intended in the original design. Until LE Audio is actually everywhere, the experience won’t fundamentally change, but stuff’s in the works.
https://www.androidauthority.com/bluetooth-le-audio-1233863/ https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enhancements/le-audio/ https://www.bluetooth.com/blog/introducing-lc3-the-next-generation-bluetooth-audio-codec/
starwarsxx777xx@reddit
Any idea why Bluetooth LE audio adoption has been so slow since the spec was finalized?
Gnash_@reddit
I don’t have any insider knowledge so take this with a grain of salt but my hunch is that LE Audio will be the very first time that the BLE protocol will be stressed for continuous, two-way, high-bandwidth, latency sensitive data. The key that made BLE Audio possible is a thing called isochronous channels and this requires new PHY and IP. So I wouldn’t be surprised if companies are just taking their sweet time battle testing the protocol before releasing things into the wild. To be fair, there are some recent Samsung and Sony earbuds (and maybe headphones?) that do support BLE Audio, so it’s coming, it’s just been really slow. And Apple will probably take a fair bit longer than the rest too.
TXinTXe@reddit
Doesn't the audeze maxwell headphones use BLE? I'm not completely sure, but I own one pair and they sound with practically no lag and super good.
LegoGuy23@reddit
It seems that they support: "Multipoint, LE Audio, LC3, LC3plus, LDAC, AAC, SBC"
That's a nice codec suite! I own a pair of their LCD-X and love them so it's nice to see them pioneering in the BT space too.
pcman2000@reddit
One other annoyance is LE Audio doesn't have a free "HD" codec afaik. LC3 codec is the default codec and it's pretty good, but for "HD" audio you need LC3plus which isn't free.
Personally I don't care and LC3 is more than good enough for my listening, but from a marketing standpoint it's not ideal (and i'm sure there are snobs who must use a high res codec).
GHz-Man@reddit
The old/existing Bluetooth already supports 256kb AAC which already sounds indistinguishable from lossless to 99% of people.
pcman2000@reddit
I completely agree, hence why I mentioned marketing and audio snobs :)
GHz-Man@reddit
Ah, I wasn't sure if LC3 was high-res or not. I know Apple uses AAC over Bluetooth.
pcman2000@reddit
As far as I know LC3 (I think it caps at 340kbps for LE Audio) is similar to AAC 256k quality. It may depend on the encoder though since supposedly Android's AAC encoder sucks vs iOS. Not sure if that's an issue for LC3 too.
atanasius@reddit
LC3 has the maximum bitrate of 248 kbps. It is slighty worse than AAC at the same bitrate and some users may be able to ABX, but maximum-rate LC3 should be good enough in most situations.
MumrikDK@reddit
If some big brand with lifestyle value chose to make it a competitive advantage people care about, I bet it would be everywhere in no time.
Just imagine if Apple started pushing it in marketing.
crshbndct@reddit
Reading the discussion further ip the thread about AirPods and Apple devices, Made me realise that this reply is a phenomenal explanation why Apple does the walled garden thing, why they stuck to Lightning for so long etc.
GHz-Man@reddit
Apple was actually one of the first (maybe the first) company to actually ship USB-C in a product in 2015, and they even helped design it.
They stuck with Lightning on the iPhone for so long because of e-waste, supposedly.
Every time they switched connectors, millions of people threw their old cables in the trash.
They had only introduced Lightning a few years earlier in 2012, so switching again only 3 years later would've been an odd choice.
I'm sure if USB-C had existed in 2012, they would've used it instead.
crshbndct@reddit
Yeah, when the accepted the standard is absolute horsepiss they make up their own, and use that until a decent standard is made.
I still think lightning is the superior connector to USB C for phones.
Bee040@reddit
Lightning was ahead of its time, but it never being updated for higher than USB 2 speeds was terrible
crshbndct@reddit
TB4 over lightning would have been perfect.
Klutzy-Residen@reddit
But would it have been possible? I don't think you can fit enough pins in the connextor.
crshbndct@reddit
idk im not a connector engineer. im just yapping
ThatOnePerson@reddit
There was an iPad pro that did support USB 3.0. But no clue how much of it was a hack because it only ever supported 1 accessory, and there was never a USB-A 3.0 > Lighting 3.0 cable.
Plank_With_A_Nail_In@reddit
Why do phones need higher USB speeds?
GHz-Man@reddit
I mean Mini and Micro USB weren't terrible, they could've used those.
The only real issue was it wasn't reversible.
Why?
max123246@reddit
Micro sucks lol. I can't wait for my medical devices to finally move onto USB c so I can get rid of all my micro USB chargers
Plank_With_A_Nail_In@reddit
Mini and Micro USB are actually terrible though, they are not designed to be plugged/unplugged constantly.
crshbndct@reddit
I don't have a single MicroUSB device where the port on the device hasn't broken after about a year of everyday usage. Some of the Android phones I had around that time lasted a little longer, but for cheap electronics, it was always a case of when, not if. There wouldn't be tutorials on how to fit a USB-C connector to various old electronics purely for charging if the connector was good.
Much more positive feel when inserting, you know when its not in properly. No center pin thing means less breakage over time The connector stays cleaner inside and also is easier to clean. The connector itself is smaller and more physically durable(in my experience). The speeds are too slow, the protocols it supports were outdated, and the charge speeds are also too slow, but just the physical connector itself was fantastic.
Type C connectors are extremely versatile, and the extra pins and power delivery and Thunderbolt 5 support is great. The capabilities and good-enough longevity beat lightning thoroughly.
SchighSchagh@reddit
The problem is that the newer tech that's supposed to fix Bluetooth audio was introduced as optional. Most BT 5.3/5.4 devices don't actually implement LC3 for example. It's a huge travesty. I really wish BT guys would've mandated LC3 be included starting with v5.3. Then if you want to make devices without it, just call them 5.0 devices or something whatever. If you want to market it as having the highest BT version there is, and bloody put in all the features!
(this rant also applies to HDMI, Wifi, and too many other things)
Xiao1insty1e@reddit
HDR, WCG, Refresh Rate, pretty much anything to do with display has an unnecessary obfuscation layer on what it can do but they all are listed under the same moniker while having wildly different capabilities.
12318532110@reddit
Thanks for this. I was trying to find out more about LC3 a month ago but couldn't find any good technical resources about it.
ExtremeFreedom@reddit
I have an aptx dongle for my pc and it's great.
DehydratedButTired@reddit
There’s only so many channels to use, airwaves are heavily restricted. I think that’s part of it.
Inprobamur@reddit
Good explanation.
smarlitos_@reddit
Wired. Cheaper and good.
oppairate@reddit
the wrong combination of devices that were never made with the others in mind.
FerLuisxd@reddit
2.4GHZ wireless connection is king tbh, wondering why is not more widely used like a Bluetooth alternative
Thradya@reddit
Bluetooth is 2.4g.
IntoFlooring@reddit
105 euro motorola phone, work laptop and a 30 dollar Anker headset that can link to two devices at the same time. I can walk from my desk to the rec room, to the end of the office without a single issue. They always connect flawless.
bhop_monsterjam@reddit
Too many cooks in the kitchen all wanting different things on one plate
NuclearReactions@reddit
I don't even understand how people bother with bt audio when it comes to gaming. Music, podcast and movies sure but in gaming the latency is horrible. To the point where it completely throws me off when doing stuff that requires me to coordinate sound and actions. For example car games, especially in drifting i get so bad when using bluetooth
y2kobserver@reddit
As it happens I released a Bluetooth multiplayer game just a few days back
https://igutinstinct.com/en/games/igut-instinct/
Just the Bluetooth supporting stack (Android and iOS, RPC calls with many players) took months to complete and it was painfully hard, especially working around older hardware quirks.
There are many limitations and complexities specifically related to Bluetooth Low Energy where you stuff in the Bluetooth chip and the chip then broadcasts efficiently or smth.
All the complexity exists to save battery life and conserve radio bandwidth.
As such some products might just be buggy.
y2kobserver@reddit
You’re just spreading FUD because you have broken headphones
kayama57@reddit
Also so much latency. It’s disgraceful
Plank_With_A_Nail_In@reddit
This seems trivially solved by buy another pair of ear buds just for the mac book.
Bluetooth wasn't designed to have multiple connections that's something manufacturers have shoehorned on to it themselves.
introvertedhedgehog@reddit
Yea Bluetooth is awful but Bose is just particularly bad. I have had way better Bluetooth experiences with my Samsung and Google eyebuds than my Bose quiet comfort headphones.
dvisorxtra@reddit
Cheap $200 phone, cheap $30 earphones, Thinkpad laptop running Linux
No issues
Dear_Lia12@reddit
I have same issues with the pc, JBL box and headset
did_i_or_didnt_i@reddit
fwiw this never happens with my old ass iPhone and my new-ish AirPods
TheMcSebi@reddit
That is an apple issue though
tgwombat@reddit
This is one of the things that keeps me in the Apple ecosystem, honestly. My Airpods might be the only Bluetooth device I've ever owned that actually work reliably, at least within that ecosystem. I'm sure using them with non-Apple hardware would still be a mess.
ThatDistantStar@reddit
Yup, I'll keep buying their garbage because of how annoyingly good and seamless their ecosystem is. I'll run a unstable build of Arch on my home computers, but for my phone and day job gadgets I want that shit stupid stable.
makar1@reddit
Airpods have been working smoothly with my Switch and Switch 2
windowpuncher@reddit
Samsung buds between samsung devices, and also windows, works pretty well too. Mostly. Usually when things break during device transfer it seems to be spotify's fault somehow because it fucking insists on having a presence on EVERY device I'm signed into while I play music on any other device, then it gets confused at which one should be the active controller.
jonydevidson@reddit
Not any more than using any other.
Airpods with Macs and iOS devices is seamless, though. Truly what it should be.
CarretillaRoja@reddit
I never had any issue as far as I remember. I use a Mac, iPad, iPhone, AirPods.
horatiobanz@reddit
Pixels have had shit Bluetooth for half a decade. Make better buying decisions. Bluetooth on other devices is rock solid.
DUNGAROO@reddit
What’s also awful is how 99% of hardware + headphones combinations still rely on the ancient Bluetooth headset audio protocol (which sounds like shit) when much better ones exist.
MrMunday@reddit
Get AirPods Pro and an iPhone
lurchnz1@reddit
Never really had those issues with Bluetooth. Have a set of Baseus XH1s, Samsung buds 2 pro and a pixel 9 pro fold. MS surface pro 7, macbook pro 2019 and my Dell work laptop Plus bluetooth connection to the car. Can jump between them. The Basesus XH1's have multipoint, love it :) Plus leaving the fold at one end of the house and walking around with XH1's, even going downstairs no dropouts. Compare that to the Buds2 pro... they disconnect :D
no_funny_username@reddit
I agree. My experience is when my wife gets home, her car connects to my phone, and then my audio is routed to her car. Thank goodness its only been SFW stuff (so far at least).
windowpuncher@reddit
On the stereo, or on your phone, there's ways to disable auto connect to certain devices.
the__storm@reddit
On Android there is not (there used to be in dev settings but they got rid of it), so if the car manufacturer didn't bother to include it on their end you're sol.
Sillypugpugpugpug@reddit
My truck likes to highjack my Bluetooth when the truck is OFF. It's maddening.
the__storm@reddit
Yep, only way I've found to stop it is to completely turn off both bluetooth and wifi, along with everything that mentions automatically turning either of them back on. It's insane.
Krigen89@reddit
Same with my car, crazy
shoneysbreakfast@reddit
This particular issue is a Bose specific thing, their newer stuff has problems with multiple connections, it's very common complaint. Check out the Bose sub and you can find countless people complaining about it.
TruthHistorical7515@reddit
There is a bluetooth alternative but you will never see it in the USA due to sanctions
szakee@reddit
never really had problems with my 200€ phone and whatever 30€ IEMs.
russia_delenda_est@reddit
Yeah it's funny how much better $20-30 iems are. You are making one compromise - wire, for better audio, stable experience, no problems with battery life etc.
ledfrisby@reddit
Bring back the 3.5mm audio jack!
Delicious_Rub_6795@reddit
and pairing is instant, foolproof and never a doubt which device is connected
996forever@reddit
You have Bluetooth multipoint? OP’s issues seem to be with multipoint specifically.
Ivor-Ashe@reddit
I’m actually amazed at how well my Apple stuff works. Laptop phone and AirPods all operate seamlessly and switch without me needing to do anything.
edo-lag@reddit
Bluetooth is an awful technology with awful implementations. If you can use a wire for your headphones and can do so comfortably then it's better. If you can't and you need to use wireless headphones, then life is going to be hell.
It's no surprise to me that Bluetooth is still around. Some of the technologies we're surrounded by suck indefinitely but are just "good enough" to let them keep going. Can't wait for headphone makers to just drop Bluetooth altogether and use WiFi or smth similar. Imagine being able to listen to lossless music without wires... 🤯 Decades of technological development in wireless communications just to end up in the big '26 with the crap Bluetooth is...
Working_Sundae@reddit
This video explains why Bluetooth sucks so bad even in 2026
https://youtu.be/KbKVuzUnZBU
darth_benzina@reddit
i was expecting this other explanation
Sylanthra@reddit
This is a much more comprehensive video, thank you.
ML7777777@reddit
Restart your PC, bluetooth keyboard no longer connects until after you sign in. (Have to use onscreen keyboard or connect another KB as work around).
siliconandsteel@reddit
Multipoint would help. It is not standard yet.
xf3d@reddit
I think it all depends on the Bluetooth hardware. On my desktop PC with Bluetooth, my earbuds will start cutting out if I walk into a different room 15 feet away. On my mobile S24+, I can go to an entirely different floor in the house and the earbuds still work perfectly. My old Pixel 5a had the same issue as my desktop PC, really bad connection drops if you weren't in the same room with the phone.
narwi@reddit
This is mostly on Bose.
mollymoo@reddit
Headphone manufactures could fix the issues with auto-switching by mixing together both audio streams so you hear both, or just giving you a damn button to switch between them yourself.
I've given up on connecting headphones to more than one device, it has never worked properly (except with AirPods - they actually do work with multiple Apple devices).
Kyrond@reddit
It's not Bluetooth protocol, it's the devices. Expensive doesn't equal good, especially when a certain company doesn't want it to be good with other devices.
I use my CMF buds 2 (and optionally work headphones) with
It only has connection to 2 at once, but that's OK as I don't use both at once.
Other than that, it works flawlessly, it connects to my phone during a call, then connects back to any one device.
IndominuSs12@reddit
Actually Nothing(makers of CMF) really nailed the bluetooth software on their headphones, I own nothing ear, and Senheiser Momentum 4.
Nothing handles the connectivity 100% better than the more expensive Senheiser, Nothing always stays connected to both my phone and laptop, and switching it is as easy as just stoping the playback on one device and starting on the other.
Also never had any troubles like other bluetooth headphones where it will randomly disconnect from one device or just wouldn’t respond.
Mr_s3rius@reddit
I got a pair of Momentum 4s as well and I can second that. The switching is smooth and the connection is great. If only I didnt have two RMA them twice already due to the battery...
Thoughts and prayers.
Nervous-Chemist-2548@reddit
This review sounds like Odysseus with the cyclops
asiklu@reddit
I have the same issue with a Bose NC 700. My online research shows that it’s a very common issue with Bose and multipoint Bluetooth connections.
I think I’ll switch to Sony as I’ve heard good things about it when it comes to multipoint Bluetooth.
battler624@reddit
NGL if your issue is multi-device then its probably related to your mac.
On windows and android, using the Huawei Freeclip 2 which is a BT6.0 earclip buds I get almost instant switching between the two devices, ofcourse I have to prioritize via its android app which one if both devices playing audio and unfortunately there is no windows app (there is one for iOS tho)
But still, regarding audio quality while the mic is on or audio sync essentially if you want bluetooth to not be awful, aim for things that support LC3Plus. LC3Plus should give High Quality and Low Latency connections between devices that use it.
Unfortunately, its going to be a hunt, I'm looking for one right now but unfortunately nothing that fits what I want.
Jarasmut@reddit
The objective reason why is that it's how Bose crap works. Bose always had a big marketing budget and made sure to have the most headphones stocked in any store so you couldn't get past a purchase without at least considering Bose. They had good ANC tech (and their ANC is still one of the best today) but Bose never had particularly great anything else.
Switching to something like Sony or Airpods would probably fix your issue (and Airpods Pro 2 are available for under 200 bucks with tax included already making them relatively cheap).
Airpods work well when you only have 2 devices where one is an Apple device like your Macbook. Meaning that they will always keep connecting to the Mac with the sound icon in the menu bar within a second if you need them to, and otherwise they'll remain connected to your Pixel. However, each time you switch from the Mac to the Pixel you would either have to go to your Pixel bluetooth settings and hit the connect button or set a quick settings shortcut.
So if you just want your issue fixed you can go with well reviewed Sony's or whatever people here would recommend, if you wanted Airpods you'd probably want those for other reasons like the Pro 2 having great sound quality (the Pro 3 are fine too), very good ANC, potentially better fit and comfort (or worse, I can't predict how they would fit your ears), better touch controls that actually work reliably. I use Airpods with other devices like a Nintendo Switch and they connect reliably, stay connected and don't jump between devices but they do require that you press the connect button manually as they will otherwise connect back to your Mac.
PinchedTazerZ0@reddit
Weird I use BT a ton and don't really have issues. I remember maybe half a decade ago having trouble when I was paired to multiple stuff nearby but haven't had that issue in years. I have a decent wireless headset and soundbar but mainly use BT between car, shitty kitchen speaker, cheap ass ear buds, laptop, and a $200 phone
I get a new mobile device every year or so and don't recall the last time I had an issue. I mainly just use BT for music and zoom/virtual calls though
My issue with BT is range but I'll just have a broadcasting device on me or central to my location if I'm battling that
empty_branch437@reddit
Manufacturers always find ways to not give you a better experience
CeruLucifus@reddit
This is somewhat device dependent, in my experience.
I have a Shokz headset, and I have 3 devices paired (Google Pixel 6a, Framework 12 Fedora laptop, Dell Latitude 9520 Windows laptop). When I turn the headset on, it reliably connects both to my phone and a laptop.
I don't have both laptops on at the same time, as it is home/work separation. Occasionally when I've shut down one laptop and powered up the other, then manual connection is needed, but usually when I transition I've powered off the headset too then back on so that takes care of it.
Now my 2024 Toyota Rav4? Yeah it's only about 70% reliable to connect to my Pixel when I start the car. My older 2012 Ford Escape? Something like 90% reliable.
Ploddit@reddit
My biggest issue with it is range. I like to do things around the house with BT earbuds connected to my PC, and it's basically useless beyond a few meters. Especially if you've got a couple of walls in between.
global-gauge-field@reddit
I have xiaomi redmi buds 6 active. It has been running with no problems on my xiaomi phone, Linux (Gnome DE) and Windows laptop.
I am able to switch between xiaomi and linux laptop easily.
ResponsibleQuiet6611@reddit
Just here to say I feel you lol.
Wireless is handy at times but man I miss when things just worked in the 2000s.
PMARC14@reddit
Unless the pixel is playing fuckass phantom audio (media player gets stuck open from an app misbehaving), I think it's the Mac. Happened when testing my sister Mac after fixing it, multipoint only behaves if you fully in the apple ecosystem.
NightFuryToni@reddit
The only one that constantly gave me problems is my set of Bose in-ears. Software and firmware is hot garbage on it. My $20 Baseus set function better than that.
windozeFanboi@reddit
Yes, Bluetooth audio has been painful since forever.
Usually the issue with whatever hacky multipoint connection every company makes is the phone(primary) somehow seems to retain the audio lock as if it's still producing audio when it's not after whatever notification call or what not.
You can toggle Bluetooth off and on or perhaps just disconnect the earbuds from the phone, as long as you don't unpair they will reconnect just fine next time you pull them out of the case.
Im assuming that's what happened , from the description of events.
Fine-Muscle-9304@reddit
I mean maby not related but airpods pair best with mac's and for phone you could have gotten different headphones like I have cmf buds 2 pro never had a problem
wijeda@reddit (OP)
I see what you mean. However here, it's not only Apple vs the rest.