Fixing Choppy Bluetooth Audio on Ubuntu with PulseAudio

In this article, we will explore various methods to fix choppy Bluetooth audio on Ubuntu using PulseAudio. If you are experiencing skipping or choppy audio with your Bluetooth devices, this guide is for you.

What is PulseAudio?

PulseAudio is a sound server for POSIX and Win32 systems. It’s a good sound server that offers advanced audio features, such as adjusting sound levels on a per-application basis. However, it can sometimes cause audio issues with Bluetooth devices.

Method 1: Adjusting PulseAudio’s Nice Priority

One of the ways to improve the audio quality is to adjust the nice priority of the PulseAudio process. This will give PulseAudio higher priority over other processes.

To do this, you need to edit the /etc/security/limits.conf file. Open the terminal and type:

sudo nano /etc/security/limits.conf

Add the following lines at the end of the file:

* hard rtpio 0
* soft rtpio 0
@audio hard rtpio 20
@audio soft rtpio 20
pulse hard rtpio 20
pulse soft rtpio 20

These lines set the real-time scheduling priority for the PulseAudio process. The @audio lines give any user in the audio group a higher priority. The pulse lines specifically target the PulseAudio process.

After adding these lines, save and close the file. Then, add yourself to the audio group using the following command:

sudo usermod -a -G audio $USER

Finally, restart PulseAudio:

pulseaudio -k
pulseaudio --start

Method 2: Adjusting Buffer Size (Latency) of the Bluetooth Device

Another way to improve the audio quality is to adjust the buffer size (latency) of the Bluetooth device. This can be done using the pactl command.

First, find the necessary info about the Bluetooth device by running the following command:

pactl list | grep -Pzo '.*bluez_card(.*\n)*'

This command will output the details of the Bluetooth device. Note down the NAME and PORT of the output device.

Next, set the buffer size (latency) of your card using the following command:

pactl set-port-latency-offset <NAME> <PORT> <BUFFER_SIZE_MICROSECONDS>

Replace <NAME>, <PORT>, and <BUFFER_SIZE_MICROSECONDS> with the appropriate values. The buffer size is in microseconds, so you might need to experiment with different values to find the optimal latency value.

After setting the buffer size, restart the Bluetooth service to apply the changes:

sudo service bluetooth restart

Method 3: Editing the ALSA Configuration File

Another method to improve the audio quality is to edit the ALSA configuration file. ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) is a software framework and part of the Linux kernel that provides an API for sound card drivers.

Open the ALSA configuration file using the following command:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Add the following line at the end of the file:

options snd-hda-intel model=generic

This line tells ALSA to use a generic model for the sound card, which can help improve compatibility with Bluetooth devices.

Save and close the file, then restart the Bluetooth service:

sudo service bluetooth restart

Method 4: Using the PulseAudio Volume Control GUI Tool

PulseAudio Volume Control is a powerful GUI tool that allows you to control the audio settings of each application and device.

To open the tool, press CTRL-D in Unity or the Windows-Key in Gnome and type “Pulse” or “Volume”. Open the “PulseAudio Volume Control” tool.

Select your Bluetooth speaker and click on “Advanced”. Here, you can set the latency value to a suitable value. Apply the changes and check if the audio quality improves.

Method 5: Using Blueman

Blueman is a GTK+ Bluetooth Manager that provides a better user interface for managing Bluetooth devices.

To install Blueman, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install blueman

After installing Blueman, disconnect the Bluetooth device from the system Bluetooth settings. Then, re-pair the device using Blueman. Check if the audio quality improves.

Conclusion

Fixing choppy Bluetooth audio on Ubuntu with PulseAudio can be a bit tricky, as it requires a bit of experimentation. However, by adjusting the nice priority, buffer size, ALSA configuration, or using tools like PulseAudio Volume Control and Blueman, you can significantly improve the audio quality.

Remember to always backup your system before making any changes, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you encounter any issues. Happy listening!