Bose SoundSport Free PC and Phone switching

[JasonAltenburg]

I'd like a clear answer from Bose Support on this one. Are these issues that I am describing below considered to be issues that Bose is working on remedying, or am I following the prescribed and recommended directions (based on my reading in this forum in response to other questions) in order for my product to be functioning?

I have the most current device firmware for the earbuds, the most current app on my phone, and the Bose Updater service running on my PC.  I am using Windows 10 and Android version 9.  I have a Pixel 2 XL phone and a Thinkpad T570 PC.

1. I use my headphones at the office, and the gym. In order to use my headphones at the office, I typically have to clear the bluetooth device out from Windows first, then I have to clear the bluetooth device list (10 second press on left bud) on the earbuds. Then I remove the buds from the case, plug in the case, put the earbuds back in the case, wait until they are recognized by the computer, then remove them from the case again, and connect them to Bluetooth. If I forget to clear the bluetooth device list first and happen to still be connected to my phone, repeat this process again because the earbuds either don't connect or they connect as hands-free...

2. If I leave my computer for a period of about 20 minutes, the headphones disconnect, so I get to repeat this process again to switch back from the hands-free mode that the earbuds default back into (I don't want this... I never want this for the PC connection...). Given that I have typically multiple meetings during a day at a minimum of 30 minutes or so you can see how I might be weighing whether or not it's 'worth it' to connect my headphones when I'm at my desk. Doesn't seem like a decision I should need to be making....

3. To use the headphones at the gym, If I was previously connected to the PC, typically I have to forget the device in the phone's bluetooth, turn bluetooth on the phone off and on again, clear the bluetooth device list (10 second press on left bud) on the earbuds, then hope that the Bose Connect app will connect the earbuds as if I'm connecting them for the first time to the phone.

[Jessie_O]

Hi JasonAltenburg, 

Thank you for your post and welcome to the Community! 

I'm sorry to hear of the issues you are experiencing with your SoundSport Free, I'd be happy to assist you. 

I can confirm that the issue of hands-free mode has been raised.  

Can you confirm what happens when you try to connect to your phone after connecting to your PC? It's not completely clear from your post above. 

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Kindest, 

Jessie O - Community Support

[JasonAltenburg]

Regarding item 3, I've tested it a few times now, and it seems that I can simply connect them using the Bose Connect app, and they will mostly connect to the phone after being connected to the PC.

Thank you for advising on item 2, is there a planned fix?  Does "has been raised" mean anything beyond "we understand your frustration".

Is what I describe in item 1 still the recommended course of action to connect to the PC as Stereo?

[JasonAltenburg]

Raising this again as I've not heard back since I posted in July.  I've been having more frustration with this product lately so I figured I'd come back to the forums...

Thank you for advising on item 2, is there a planned fix? Does "has been raised" mean anything beyond "we understand your frustration".

Is what I describe in item 1 still the recommended course of action to connect to the PC as Stereo?

Is there any planned fix for the Youtube lag issue?  (I don't think I need to re-iterate this concern it is clearly reported by many users in this forum)

[Charlotte_G]

Hello Jason,

Thank you for getting back in touch. I'm sorry that your previous post was not actioned! 

I can confirm that an investigation is currently still ongoing regarding connection issues between the SoundSport Free wireless headphones and PCs. The complexity of this matter is due to a large number of different Bluetooth profiles and other technologies integrated with computers. I would like to direct you to this post which may help you to understand the connection process >> Computer Related Informational Post

Once we do receive any updates, we will be sure to check in with the Community.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Warm regards,

Charlotte G 

[JasonAltenburg]

Hello Charlotte,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.  I’m going to respond to the informational thread that you linked to by each bullet point.  You will see the responses below, and I will summarize my questions at the end of this post.

• Always make sure that your Bluetooth drivers are up to date.  You can find the most up to date Bluetooth drivers at your computer’s manufacturer’s website.  It’s also important to check for updated drivers on your Bluetooth chipset manufacturer’s website whenever possible. 
• All applicable system updates have been applied.
• Many users have found success with Bluetooth adapters.  As I mentioned above, we did conduct extensive testing with adapters and found that in some cases they helped and in some cases, they did not have an effect, our testing was inconsistent.  However, many people have found this to help manage those Bluetooth connections and we’d love to hear which ones work for you all. 
• This seems like a bizarre suggestion, with no specific recommendation on which Bluetooth adapter MIGHT work, since this post was created in 2018 have you heard which ones worked for "us all" in order to offer a recommendation?
• In addition to keeping your Bluetooth drivers up to date, we also recommend keeping your machines as up to date in terms of OS as you can and also keeping your products up to date. 
• Bose Update, Windows Update, and System updates have been applied.
• Toggle Bluetooth on and off.  This step seems redundant but because the issue does come from your computer’s inability to latch on to the proper pairing profile, resetting the connection can absolutely help it connect properly. 
• When I do this, I am toggling the software switch in Windows 10 off and on again.  The headphones pair, display connected voice and music, but when sound is played, they immediately lose the pairing profile for music.

• Clearing the pairing list on your devices and reestablishing the connection.  This step is akin to the toggling one above in that resetting the connection can help the computer grab the right profile. Windows does not “remember” the previous pairing profile.  If you need troubleshooting steps on how to clear the pairing list on your specific device, let us know. 
• I assume this is the “hold the button down on left earbud” and "clear devices from windows" step that I must do constantly, in addition to always having the case & USB cable.
• Making the headset the default output device in Windows 10.  Selecting the headset or speaker as the default will help stabilize that connection and keep it consistent. 
• This doesn’t do anything, it does not “stabilize” anything, and it doesn’t change anything about the way that the headphones are connecting.
• Disabling other output devices temporarily, if needed. 
• I’ve disabled all other audio outputs.  This changes nothing about the connection issues.
• This last step I’ve personally found to be incredibly useful.  If your product will connect to your Windows 10 computer but the audio quality is poor and you’re getting a feedback sort of background noise this could help. 
• This step has no specific recommendations.  What am I supposed to change in these settings?  What should I expect the result to be when I do so?

Even after going through all of this, the only reliable method I seem to have found to connect these headphones is the following, which I discovered on the forums in another member’s post.  This is incredibly frustrating, especially when I walk away from my computer for a bit, and have to repeat these steps every time the headphones turn themselves off.

Take the headphones out of the case.

Clear Bluetooth device list on headphones.

Remove device from the Bluetooth Device listing in Windows 10.

Plug case into computer with USB cable.

Place headphones into case wait about 5 seconds.

Add Bluetooth device, and select the headphones.

----------------------------------

Questions outstanding:

1. Can you clarify what settings should be changed and how for the step in the Informational post regarding: "This last step I’ve personally found to be incredibly useful."

2. The informational post was created in 2018, is there a specific brand or type of Bluetooth Adapter that Bose recommends for PC?

3. Is there any resolution that would mitigate the constant need for clearing device lists, and re-pairing issue I have described when connecting to PC?  Short of a Bluetooth Adapter, or receiving clarification on the settings in my first question, I have tried all recommendations from Bose and have had no resolution on this.

Thank you,

Jason A.

[Jessie_O]

Hi Jason A, 

Thanks for following up with us. 

I'm sorry to hear that the suggested steps have not resolved your issue. 

In regards to your questions, I believe the line "This last step I’ve personally found to be incredibly useful" is referring to the previous step. We do not have any recommendations for any Bluetooth adapters I'm afraid as we do not manufacture them here. 

The development team is aware of the issue and are working hard on a fix to help make pairing easier between the SoundSport Free and Windows 10 PCs. In the meantime, I would recommend keeping your headphones, app and source device up to date with the latest Firmware. 

I'm sorry I could not assist you further. If there is anything else we can do, please reach out to us again!

Kindest, 

Jessie O