Bluetooth Stutter

[Shozzer]

Morning All,

New WiiM Pro owner as of last week. Works flawlessly over Wi-Fi when connected to my Denon amplifier via Line Out and also Optical Out (Coax is a no go as my current connectors don't fit onto the WiiM!) but when connecting to Bluetooth devices - Dali Katch, Sony Headphones and a cheap headband (for use when going to sleep - not a good look!) the sound stutters badly. Have other users had similar problems and were they able to overcome them? The experience varies. Sometimes when the stutter starts, pausing a few seconds allows the sound to buffer and then normal playback is possible. Sometimes it then becomes necessary to repeat the process if the stutter starts again.

The problem occurs whether streaming from LMS or Qobuz via WiiM and happens irrespective of Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. A device reset did partly improve the situation but essentially Bluetooth is unusable which is a shame as that was the main reason for getting the WiiM. I have submitted a ticket to WiiM but wondered if others had similar experiences they could share.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

 

[Wiimer]

Hi,

What happens if you move your headband closer to the WiiM?
It's also possible that your bed or your body is blocking the signal. It may also be that the headband is less sensitive than other devices. What if you use Sony headphones in bed?

 

[Shozzer]

Thanks for your reply. It definitely helps, although I am not used to having BT devices in plain sight. Dali Katch currently playing flawlessly but whilst the Sony WX-1000MX4s work a lot better, they still eventually break into a stutter. Sometimes pausing fixes the problem for a time, on other occasions it doesn't. And same with the headband.

 

[Wiimer]

Thanks for your reply. It definitely helps, although I am not used to having BT devices in plain sight. Dali Katch currently playing flawlessly but whilst the Sony WX-1000MX4s work a lot better, they still eventually break into a stutter. Sometimes pausing fixes the problem for a time, on other occasions it doesn't. And same with the headband.

If possible, it may be possible to increase the connection strength by placing the WiiM in a high location as much as possible. (A place higher than the bed.)

As you probably already know, Bluetooth communication problems are generally caused by the following:

2.4GHz communication equipment
Obstacles such as water, metal, and walls
Multiple Bluetooth devices

WiiM doesn't have a rod antenna, so the signal strength may not be strong, but it's not a problem in my house.

If the aforementioned cause cannot be identified, You may want to unpair all your headphones from WiiM and try re-pairing them one by one.

 

[onix]

I am new WIIM Pro owner and I have found similar problem with my EAH-AZ60 Technics(Panasonic) wireless earphones. Paring and connection status is very good but sound is terribly corrupted. It is like listening FM station in adjacent channel. Panasonic guy says it is their known issue as irregular data from Pro. I am waiting for Ticket status updated for this issue by the way.

 

[jfbuk]

@onix

Is your Wiim connected to your network using the 2.4Ghz band or the 5Ghz band ?
Bluetooth can get interference issues with Wifi as it also uses the 2.4Ghz band.
The other thing to try is changing the channel your WiFi network is using

 

[onix]

Thanks for your reply. I tried both setups of 5gh and 2.4Ghz, but distortion is same unfortunately.
Even when I move close to Wiim ( 1 inch distance) , also nothing better.

 

[Shozzer]

Yes, me too. There are moments of clear playback and then it deteriorates again.

 

[jfbuk]

What is the bit rate and sample rate of the audio sources you are trying to send over Bluetooth ?

 

[onix]

My main source is flac files with 44.1K/16bit, but
dstortion is not only on sources but also chaim of WIIM.

 

[Shozzer]

Same with me. I have tried a number of different BT headphones and all suffer from issues, although ironically, the poorer quality headphones work better than my Sony headphones!

My main source is flac files with 44.1K/16bit, but
dstortion is not only on sources but also chaim of WIIM.

 

[Wiimer]

Same with me. I have tried a number of different BT headphones and all suffer from issues, although ironically, the poorer quality headphones work better than my Sony headphones!

Maybe I've found a solution.

I paired my Panasonic RP-HD500 headphones with the WiiM pro and had the same distortion issue as you guys.

So I went to the Audio settings in WHA, changed some parameters, and tested to see if the problem could be resolved.

In my case, I turned off the Fixed volume output and then turned it back on again, and the headphone distortion disappeared.

I usually turn on fixed volumes and set the Volume limit to 70%. Maybe setting a limit caused a temporary problem.

I'm still using it with the same settings, but there is no distortion.

What I want you to try.
Fixed volume on / off.
Resetting the volume limit.
Fade in and out on / off.

If these adjustments don't solve the problem, try changing all the parameters in the Audio settings and reverting them.

Edit:
I did these tests while music was playing through my headphones. To protect your ears, take off your headphones.

 

[Brantome]

Maybe I've found a solution.

I paired my Panasonic RP-HD500 headphones with the WiiM pro and had the same distortion issue as you guys.

So I went to the Audio settings in WHA, changed some parameters, and tested to see if the problem could be resolved.

In my case, I turned off the Fixed volume output and then turned it back on again, and the headphone distortion disappeared.

I usually turn on fixed volumes and set the Volume limit to 70%. Maybe setting a limit caused a temporary problem.

I'm still using it with the same settings, but there is no distortion.

What I want you to try.
Fixed volume on / off.
Resetting the volume limit.
Fade in and out on / off.

If these adjustments don't solve the problem, try changing all the parameters in the Audio settings and reverting them.

Edit:
I did these tests while music was playing through my headphones. To protect your ears, take off your headphones.

Good troubleshooting - if you can reproduce that and raise a ticket to WiiM, that’ll be good diagnostic info to help them pinpoint the cause

 

[Shozzer]

Sigh... It really seemed like it was working but after about 7 minutes of great playback the stuttering kicked back in. Even pausing and then playing does not cure the stutter. I'll continue to play with the set up during the day and try my other headphones as well to see if there is any improvement with any of them.

Thanks for your continued interest - it is really appreciated. Maybe @onix will have greater success.

Steve

Maybe I've found a solution.

I paired my Panasonic RP-HD500 headphones with the WiiM pro and had the same distortion issue as you guys.

So I went to the Audio settings in WHA, changed some parameters, and tested to see if the problem could be resolved.

In my case, I turned off the Fixed volume output and then turned it back on again, and the headphone distortion disappeared.

I usually turn on fixed volumes and set the Volume limit to 70%. Maybe setting a limit caused a temporary problem.

I'm still using it with the same settings, but there is no distortion.

What I want you to try.
Fixed volume on / off.
Resetting the volume limit.
Fade in and out on / off.

If these adjustments don't solve the problem, try changing all the parameters in the Audio settings and reverting them.

Edit:
I did these tests while music was playing through my headphones. To protect your ears, take off your headphones.

 

[Wiimer]

Sigh... It really seemed like it was working but after about 7 minutes of great playback the stuttering kicked back in. Even pausing and then playing does not cure the stutter. I'll continue to play with the set up during the day and try my other headphones as well to see if there is any improvement with any of them.

Thanks for your continued interest - it is really appreciated. Maybe @onix will have greater success.

Steve

Your sound stuttering may be another problem.
I don't have any such problems with my WiiM, but I'll test it a bit more when I have time.

As @Brantome said, I submit a ticket as soon as the issue recurs.

 

[Achim1811]

Weeks ago I tried BT with my Pro. No friend of BT, but that is not the point yet.
So it lasted a while before I read this thread. And when reading it I remembered a quite strange experience, which was not important for me at that time. But may be it is another puzzle piece?
With a B&W PX7 it was really bad and with a Sony WH-1000XM 4 it was unlistenable.
Changed to a cheap Porta Pro Wireless and all was fine. At least listenable with some fun.
No idea if this helps...just an experience report.

 

[Shozzer]

I understand where you are coming from. My BT headband sleep headphones do work a lot better but are occasionally prone to stutter. Most frustrating. I understand that BT doesn't give the greatest of audio fidelity but for aging ears such considerations tend to be less important. Wi-Fi in and Coaxial out and the WiiM performs flawlessly. BT, for me at any rate, is a real let down.

Weeks ago I tried BT with my Pro. No friend of BT, but that is not the point yet.
So it lasted a while before I read this thread. And when reading it I remembered a quite strange experience, which was not important for me at that time. But may be it is another puzzle piece?
With a B&W PX7 it was really bad and with a Sony WH-1000XM 4 it was unlistenable.
Changed to a cheap Porta Pro Wireless and all was fine. At least listenable with some fun.
No idea if this helps...just an experience report.

 

[Wiimer]

I verified it a bit.

First, about Bluetooth antenna.
WiiM pro's Bluetooth antenna doesn't seem to be particularly problematic. You get as much communication distance as my phone. I left my WiiM on the second floor of my house and walked out the front door for about 10 meters when the music stopped. This is equivalent to a my android phone.

Next, about distortion.
There seems to be a problem with the volume control on the WiiM's Bluetooth output. When I tested "Spotify connect" , "alexacast" and "Amazon Music in the WHA browser". And I found differences in the behavior of the volume control. I can also see the difference depending on the fixed volume on and off.

The WiiM's Bluetooth output can't sync volume of the phone with the headphones. (With the Bluetooth connection between the phone and the headphones, the volume control of both is synced when the absolute volume is on.)

In the case of WiiM, when I turn off the fixed volume, it behaves similarly to absolute volume, but the behavior is a little suspicious. Specifically, if I turn down the volume with the volume buttons on the headphones and then turn down the volume with the volume buttons on the phone, I will not be able to increase the volume with the volume buttons on the headphones.

Also, if I alternately adjust the volume between the phone and headphones, the behavior may become suspicious. The same is true when I turn the fixed volume on or off during playback.

These issues (or specifications) may have something to do with distortion.
However, I was unable to reproduce the distortion issue during these tests. There were no problems with the audio being played, and there was never a drop in the sound.

※It is very difficult for me to explain specific symptoms in English. I apologize if the sentence is incomprehensible to anyone.

@WiiM Team, @WiiM Support,
It would be great if you could test the volume control at the time of Bluetooth output with various inputs.

 

[onix]

Maybe I've found a solution.

I paired my Panasonic RP-HD500 headphones with the WiiM pro and had the same distortion issue as you guys.

So I went to the Audio settings in WHA, changed some parameters, and tested to see if the problem could be resolved.

In my case, I turned off the Fixed volume output and then turned it back on again, and the headphone distortion disappeared.

I usually turn on fixed volumes and set the Volume limit to 70%. Maybe setting a limit caused a temporary problem.

I'm still using it with the same settings, but there is no distortion.

What I want you to try.
Fixed volume on / off.
Resetting the volume limit.
Fade in and out on / off.

If these adjustments don't solve the problem, try changing all the parameters in the Audio settings and reverting them.

Edit:
I did these tests while music was playing through my headphones. To protect your ears, take off your headphones.

Thank you for your suggestion,but any combination of these settings doesn't improve or even change a bit in my case.

 

[Brantome]

I verified it a bit.

First, about Bluetooth antenna.
WiiM pro's Bluetooth antenna doesn't seem to be particularly problematic. You get as much communication distance as my phone. I left my WiiM on the second floor of my house and walked out the front door for about 10 meters when the music stopped. This is equivalent to a my android phone.

Next, about distortion.
There seems to be a problem with the volume control on the WiiM's Bluetooth output. When I tested "Spotify connect" , "alexacast" and "Amazon Music in the WHA browser". And I found differences in the behavior of the volume control. I can also see the difference depending on the fixed volume on and off.

The WiiM's Bluetooth output can't sync volume of the phone with the headphones. (With the Bluetooth connection between the phone and the headphones, the volume control of both is synced when the absolute volume is on.)

In the case of WiiM, when I turn off the fixed volume, it behaves similarly to absolute volume, but the behavior is a little suspicious. Specifically, if I turn down the volume with the volume buttons on the headphones and then turn down the volume with the volume buttons on the phone, I will not be able to increase the volume with the volume buttons on the headphones.

Also, if I alternately adjust the volume between the phone and headphones, the behavior may become suspicious. The same is true when I turn the fixed volume on or off during playback.

These issues (or specifications) may have something to do with distortion.
However, I was unable to reproduce the distortion issue during these tests. There were no problems with the audio being played, and there was never a drop in the sound.

※It is very difficult for me to explain specific symptoms in English. I apologize if the sentence is incomprehensible to anyone.

@WiiM Team, @WiiM Support,
It would be great if you could test the volume control at the time of Bluetooth output with various inputs.

If you have raised a ticket for this, please let me know and I’ll escalate it to WiiM. Again, good troubleshooting