QC35 Bluetooth Stuttering/Drop-outs

[bensmith]

Hi all,

I just bought a pair of QC35's (firmware 1.0.6), and have a problem with stuttering/bluetooth dropouts.  

I don't experience this with my iPhone 6, but all other devices whether is be my Late 2016 MacBook Pro, Yamaha RX-S601 AVR, or my HP EliteBook 742 G2 do.  This can range from a half second to 10-15 seconds if a full link renegotiation is initiated.

I have tried having only a single device activly connected but have still noticed problems, but honestly who cares if this was the solution as the two device handover feature is part of the product features, so it should work.

I live in Prague, Czech Republic, and I'm loath to go through the return process of the reseller (Alza) as they will no doubt either fail to understand the problem and the whole process will likely take a long time!

So, firstly does anyone have any experience with this and secondly is there a Bose representitive here who can take ownership of the problem, as there are no Bose dealerships in Czech?  I have read elsewhere online that others had their cans replaced because Bose know of an issue with the Bluetooth hardware in certain batches.

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree on this forum, but let's see 🙂

Many thanks,

Ben

[Ryan_M]

Thank you for reaching out to us for help and ensuring that you have the latest software. While computers can have a few extra variables associated with Bluetooth connectivity, the Yamaha receiver should be readily compatible as we've researched. We are glad to see that it is working with your iPhone and have a few suggestions. 

One is to clear the pairing list on the headset. Slide and hold the power switch to the right to the Bluetooth symbol for 10 seconds or until you hear "Bluetooth device list cleared" . 

The other suggestion would be to try navigating the different devices through the Bose Connect app to see if we have greater success. 

If you continue to experience this issue, we would recommend getting in touch with your local service center. Here is that contact information for you:

Mr. Kalenda
BaSys CS s.r.o.
Sodomkova 8/1478
CZ 102 00
Praha, 10, Česká Republika
Tel-1: 00420 234 706 700
Fax: 00420 234 706 701
Email: cakl@basys.cz

[bensmith]

Thanks Ryan!

I will give this a go at the weekend and report back.  Many thanks for taking the time to help out, much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Ben

[msgreiner]

Ryan,

I have the same problem as Ben.  Playing music causes very brief dropouts or stuttering/skipping.  This occurs 1-2 times per minute so it pretty much ruins music playback.  I have a Galaxy S7.  I've tried multiple player apps with the same results.  Using a wired connection eliminates the issue, so it appears to be associated with the bluetooth functionality.  I have tried clearing the pairings on the headphones but the same issue comes back once I re-pair.  I have seen other posts with similar issues when paired to multiple devices, but I am only paired to my phone.  Did I get a "lemon"?  Is there a firmware update that I should try or am I destined to returning through Amazon?  Thanks in advance.

Matt

[mcoomer]

I have the same issue.  I generally experience the stuttering/dropout when I move more than a few feet away from the bluetooth source, but on occassion it happens even when I'm sitting next to the source.  I also use a Soundlink Mini II and don't have this issue.  Happens with my Macbook Pro (late 2015) and iPad.  Firmware is 1.06, per the Bose updater app.  Rather annoying for a headset that is otherwise very nice.

Mike

[Lammy_pie]

I am also having this problem with my new QC35s. Even sat at my computer at work they drop in and out a few times a minute. If I need to stand up and move around then the problem just gets worse. The problem seems to fix itself if I tilt my head to the left so the right headphone faces upwards for some reason.

I'm guessing the bluetooth on these just isn't up to scratch?

[bensmith]

Hi all,

Maybe we can get a bit of momentum built up to help everyone who is suffering from this.  Maybe Bose would be interested in gathering serial numbers as there could be a bad batch or batches out there?

@Ryan_M Sorry for the delay, Christmas got in the way of things, but basically this didn't work.  I will I guess, be forced to live without them and go to the local Bose service that you kindly posted for me.  

As Matt mentions, this does not appear to be unheard of so maybe it needs to be root caused by Bose.  I would say that the issue really is that the Bluetooth module is buggy.  It does appear that with my Apple product I have no problem, I was mistaken about my MacBook Pro, they work fine with it - I can even toleratae the unuseable performance with my HP Elitebook (that is truly awful), but the dropouts and massive sync problems with my AVR is big issue for me.

Regards to all,

Ben

[msgreiner]

OK, folks.  I may have stumbled onto a solution here.  After my initial post, I did some searching on the web thinking that perhaps my problem wasn't with the headphones, but instead on the source side.  What I discovered is that there could be cache related issues on the source device that can cause the stuttering effect.  Here's what I did on my Samsung Galaxy S7 (running Android 6.0.1):

1. Go to your settings (gear icon)
2. Click on "Application Manager" under Phone section
3. Click "More" at top, then "Show system apps"
4. Select "Bluetooth Share"
5. Click "Force Stop".
6. Click "Storage" and clear both the Data and Cache.  
7. Select Ok
8. Finally restart the Galaxy S7

After doing the above steps, my problem immediately went away.  I've been streaming music for almost an hour now and not a single skip.  My problem is apparently solved, so give it a shot if you have the ability to clear cache on your source device.  Good luck!!

Matt

[bensmith]

Not a solution for this particular thread I'm afraid Matt.

My issue and therefore this thread, has nothing to do with Samsung hardware, and especially nothing to do with Android phones.  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you have a solution but I was hoping to address a problem which such a solution would not address.

My problem revolves around a RX-S601 Yamaha AV Receiver though it would be nice if the headphones were also reliable with a Windows 10 based PC (HP Elitebook 745 G2).  It's clear that the issue is very much about the Bose Bluetooth implementation as these are not problems which other Bluetooth recievers have with either devices.

Cheers,

Ben

[haffioconnor]

I have the same problem I connect with my iphone and my macbook pro later 2013 and very often I gett stuttering , 1.6 firmware, Also the mic does not always work as expected, sometimes ppl just cannot hear me at all and I have to disconnect from the iphone and reconnect.

Stuttering problem I solve by deleteing all the paird and repair, but this is getting tiresome 😞