Arch Linux

imjustahuman

Member

Registered: 2024-06-12

Posts: 9

Bluetooth headsets on arch

Hi, I am using pulseaudio and bluez for bluetooth audio. When I connect my headphones, I switched to the HFP sink as I need to use my headset's microphone but the audio quality is worsened after I switch to the HFP sink. Is there any way to fix this?

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,197

Re: Bluetooth headsets on arch

No this is normal and a limitation of the bluetooth protocol as a whole (you only have stereo, when you switch to HFP, that stereo get's split into a mono channel for output and input respectively). If it looks like this works better on e.g. mobile phones that's very often due to proprietary codecs that can't be implemented in FOSS.

FWIW especially in this context pipewire is much more actively developed and it might support some newer codecs  (granting your Headset or adapter supports them as well, exact headset is very relevant, as well as your BT adapter) so I'd say the best bet to maybe being able to improve this would be switching to pipewire and pipewire-pulse -- but generally speaking the "base" HFP profile - no matter the implementation - will have this limitation as an issue of the bluetooth protocol.

Most "better" wireless headsets come with a USB dongle that implements a wifi/custom protocol thus bypassing BT limitations (and they will show up as an USB device to the OS)

Last edited by V1del (2024-12-13 11:23:27)

imjustahuman

Member

Registered: 2024-06-12

Posts: 9

Re: Bluetooth headsets on arch

I tried switching to pipewire-pulse, but it does not support the newer codecs, so I guess there is no way to fix this then?

Last edited by imjustahuman (2024-12-14 07:11:08)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 25,197

Re: Bluetooth headsets on arch

Unlikely. There's afaik a newer BT protocol under development that should provide a better free codec, but for compatibility with that you will need a newer everything, newer BT adapter, newer Headset