Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

millus · 2020-04-28 17:36:38

I want to voice chat with ppl using a bluetooth headset, but pulseaudio only shows it under "output devices", ie the part that receives audio. So I can hear music and I can hear the other ppl speak.
However, pulseaudio doesn't list the headset under "input devices" for some reason! So I cannot use the headset mic to talk to anybody, like I do on my mobile phone (android)!

I thought maybe my bluetooth driver was outdated and installed one from git. Now I can switch the headet in pulseaudio under "configuration" between different modes.
Now there is really only one mode that enables the mic, it was already there in the disfunctional Arch stock bluetooth driver tho, so no change with this git driver:
"Headset unit (HSP/HFP)".
Buuuut! If I enable that one the BT headset will sound like some sort of warzone radio, lol! Quality will drop to abysmal levels.
Now what baffles me is, I mean this headset works perfectly fine on my android phone. So why doesn't it work on pulseaudio?

Any help greatly appreciated, thanks people!!

V1del · 2020-04-28 18:10:53

That is due to "unofficial" bluetooth protocol extensions. The "warzone" quality drop (standard HSP) is indeed what's officially specified for doing voice and audio by the bluetooth standard. Many have since implemented proprietary codecs, some of which have been reverse engineered and there are pulse module extensions that include these, you might want to give https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/puls … les-bt-git a shot.

Last edited by V1del (2020-04-28 18:13:41)

millus · 2020-04-28 18:56:13

Thanks for your reply!
The pulseaudio version you linked is actually the one I tried!
But I don't understand what's "unofficial" about the protocol extensions, I meant he bt headsets work on _every_ android and apple phone, so it seems like pretty much standard to support?? I can't believe google, huawei, oneplus, samsung, sony etc etc are all doing "unofficial" stuff and everything works perfectly and just pulseaudio does it "the standard way" so that it doesnt work properly, lmao.

Last edited by millus (2020-04-28 18:58:26)

V1del · 2020-04-28 19:32:50

No but they pay money for the license fees and use closed source blobs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_codecs#Bluetooth Any codec that's not from the "Bluetooth Special Interest Group" is not something that was/is part of the official spec. And documentation for free implementations not readily available.

If you've actually installed that, you should have other sink options, post

pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sinks

in [ code ] [ /code ] tags, and look at the additional configuration options on the project's github repository.

Last edited by V1del (2020-04-28 19:36:11)

millus · 2020-04-29 05:18:03

$pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xef128000 irq 129"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9d71"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 65, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5965, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 865, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 865, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
		alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 5
	name: <bluez_card.38_18_4C_22_B2_6F>
	driver: <module-bluez5-device.c>
	owner module: 28
	properties:
		device.description = "WI-1000X"
		device.string = "38:18:4C:22:B2:6F"
		device.api = "bluez"
		device.class = "sound"
		device.bus = "bluetooth"
		device.form_factor = "headset"
		bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_38_18_4C_22_B2_6F"
		bluez.class = "0x240404"
		bluez.alias = "WI-1000X"
		device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
		device.intended_roles = "phone"
	profiles:
		headset_head_unit: Headset Head Unit (HSP/HFP) (priority 30, available: unknown)
		a2dp_sink_sbc: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink: SBC) (priority 40, available: unknown)
		a2dp_sink_aac: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink: AAC) (priority 40, available: yes)
		a2dp_sink_aptx: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink: aptX) (priority 40, available: unknown)
		a2dp_sink_aptx_hd: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink: aptX HD) (priority 40, available: unknown)
		a2dp_sink_ldac: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink: LDAC) (priority 40, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: yes)
	active profile: <a2dp_sink_aac>
	sinks:
		bluez_sink.38_18_4C_22_B2_6F.a2dp_sink/#8: WI-1000X
	sources:
		bluez_sink.38_18_4C_22_B2_6F.a2dp_sink.monitor/#10: Monitor of WI-1000X
	ports:
		headset-output: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				
		headset-input: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:

$pacmd list-sinks
2 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 22937 /  35% / -27.36 dB,   front-right: 22937 /  35% / -27.36 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC255 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC255 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xef128000 irq 129"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9d71"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "384000"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "192000"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC255"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0255,10431450,00100002 HDA:8086280b,80860101,00100000"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-speaker>
    index: 8
	name: <bluez_sink.38_18_4C_22_B2_6F.a2dp_sink>
	driver: <module-bluez5-device.c>
	flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 9050
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 66.26 ms
	max request: 4 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 10
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 1
	fixed latency: 46.33 ms
	card: 5 <bluez_card.38_18_4C_22_B2_6F>
	module: 28
	properties:
		bluetooth.protocol = "a2dp_sink"
		bluetooth.a2dp_codec = "AAC"
		device.description = "WI-1000X"
		device.string = "38:18:4C:22:B2:6F"
		device.api = "bluez"
		device.class = "sound"
		device.bus = "bluetooth"
		device.form_factor = "headset"
		bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_38_18_4C_22_B2_6F"
		bluez.class = "0x240404"
		bluez.alias = "WI-1000X"
		device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
		device.intended_roles = "phone"
	ports:
		headset-output: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				
	active port: <headset-output>

Not sure what to make out of this. And why it says "available: unknown" in many places inluding at "headset input".

Btw one thing I noticed in this pulseaudio version was that the headset config was set to "LDAC". I read that this is the normal sony-thing (headset is a sony) so I thought nothing, but then I went to another room and the transmission suddenly got disturbances, some crackling now and then, it never showed this before with the stock pulseaudio. So I randomly switched from LDAC to AAC randomly and it was fine again.

And I thought maybe I should also put my /etc/pulse/default.pa here just in case:

#!/usr/bin/pulseaudio -nF
#
# This file is part of PulseAudio.
#
# PulseAudio is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
# under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# PulseAudio is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
# General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
# along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

# This startup script is used only if PulseAudio is started per-user
# (i.e. not in system mode)

.fail

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-device-restore
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-card-restore

### Automatically augment property information from .desktop files
### stored in /usr/share/application
load-module module-augment-properties

### Should be after module-*-restore but before module-*-detect
load-module module-switch-on-port-available

### Load audio drivers statically
### (it's probably better to not load these drivers manually, but instead
### use module-udev-detect -- see below -- for doing this automatically)
#load-module module-alsa-sink
#load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:1,0
#load-module module-oss device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-oss-mmap device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-null-sink
#load-module module-pipe-sink

### Automatically load driver modules depending on the hardware available
.ifexists module-udev-detect.so
load-module module-udev-detect
.else
### Use the static hardware detection module (for systems that lack udev support)
load-module module-detect
.endif

### Automatically connect sink and source if JACK server is present
.ifexists module-jackdbus-detect.so
.nofail
load-module module-jackdbus-detect channels=2
.fail
.endif

### Automatically load driver modules for Bluetooth hardware
.ifexists module-bluetooth-policy.so
load-module module-bluetooth-policy
.endif

.ifexists module-bluetooth-discover.so
load-module module-bluetooth-discover
.endif

### Load several protocols
load-module module-dbus-protocol
.ifexists module-esound-protocol-unix.so
load-module module-esound-protocol-unix
.endif
load-module module-native-protocol-unix

### Network access (may be configured with paprefs, so leave this commented
### here if you plan to use paprefs)
#load-module module-esound-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-native-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-zeroconf-publish

### Load the RTP receiver module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-rtp-recv

### Load the RTP sender module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-null-sink sink_name=rtp format=s16be channels=2 rate=44100 sink_properties="device.description='RTP Multicast Sink'"
#load-module module-rtp-send source=rtp.monitor

### Load additional modules from GSettings. This can be configured with the paprefs tool.
### Please keep in mind that the modules configured by paprefs might conflict with manually
### loaded modules.
.ifexists module-gsettings.so
.nofail
load-module module-gsettings
.fail
.endif


### Automatically restore the default sink/source when changed by the user
### during runtime
### NOTE: This should be loaded as early as possible so that subsequent modules
### that look up the default sink/source get the right value
load-module module-default-device-restore

### Automatically move streams to the default sink if the sink they are
### connected to dies, similar for sources
load-module module-rescue-streams

### Make sure we always have a sink around, even if it is a null sink.
load-module module-always-sink

### Honour intended role device property
load-module module-intended-roles

### Automatically suspend sinks/sources that become idle for too long
load-module module-suspend-on-idle

### If autoexit on idle is enabled we want to make sure we only quit
### when no local session needs us anymore.
.ifexists module-console-kit.so
load-module module-console-kit
.endif
.ifexists module-systemd-login.so
load-module module-systemd-login
.endif

### Enable positioned event sounds
load-module module-position-event-sounds

### Cork music/video streams when a phone stream is active
load-module module-role-cork

### Modules to allow autoloading of filters (such as echo cancellation)
### on demand. module-filter-heuristics tries to determine what filters
### make sense, and module-filter-apply does the heavy-lifting of
### loading modules and rerouting streams.
load-module module-filter-heuristics
load-module module-filter-apply

### Make some devices default
#set-default-sink output
#set-default-source input

Last edited by millus (2020-04-29 05:24:44)

V1del · 2020-04-29 07:25:38

Mkay I decided to check this a bit more in depth. Indeed these additional BT modules just implement a2dp without microphone support.

Work for a better HSP codec implementation is being done: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaud … quests/254 but that seems to at least require that patch and some new kernel code that will be in 5.8

millus · 2020-04-29 08:11:02

Alright, time to wait for 5.8 then I guess. In general it seems mSBC might be the nearest-to-implementation candidate.
I also found this cool article about bluetooth if anyone's interested https://habr.com/en/post/456182/

Last edited by millus (2020-04-29 08:12:33)

Arch Linux

#1 2020-04-28 17:36:38

Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#2 2020-04-28 18:10:53

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#3 2020-04-28 18:56:13

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#4 2020-04-28 19:32:50

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#5 2020-04-29 05:18:03

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#6 2020-04-29 07:25:38

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

#7 2020-04-29 08:11:02

Re: Pulseaudio cannot handle bluetooth headset

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