Bluetooth Headphone Audio Stopped Working

[CuratedLanguage]

Has anyone else had an issue with their bluetooth headphones no longer working in today's beta release (18A336e)? My Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones will appear to connect to my MacBook, but no audio comes out when I play something in iTunes or Safari. It will eventually and automatically kick back to playing from my speakers while still showing that the headphones are connected in the Menu Bar and Bluetooth Preferences. I've tried restarting both devices, removing and re-pairing, fidgeting with the Bose Connect app on my iPhone X, etc., and everything appears normal. I haven't had this issue before with Sierra, High Sierra, or earlier Mojave betas. Any thoughts or similar experiences? Thanks everyone!

*July 31st Update: This issue is resolved for me with the release of today's public beta (18A347e).*

 

[pbmv]

Yep, installed the new beta last night (or Sunday night?) and bluetooth audio worked until today. Now my MacBook Pro late 2016 won't send bluetooth audio to my Bose HearPhones, AirPods, and Beats 3 headsets. Even "dumb" bluetooth headsets like the Anker SoundCurve stopped passing audio while maintaining playback control ability.
I've done all the unpair-repair, preference trashing, and Bluetooth debug menu evolutions I can find and think of. SMC and PRAM zapped.
Stressing, this is a matter of content audio only as connect/disconnect sounds still work as do the playback functions of these bluetooth headsets, I can play/pause/invoke Siri as before, for whatever good that does.
Also, this audio failure came to pass only this evening, 48 hours after I installed the new beta. Audio worked fine until at least noon today.

 

[arkzrlo]

I'm having the same issue with my BeatsX and my 2012 Retina Macbook pro. They are connected successfully but not sound comes out from them. It worked perfectly until this beta.

 

[tmoerel]

Have you tried any third party apps? It looks as if Apple's own apps are not getting the right to access audio and video devices. Third party apps will ask for access and then it can be granted (skype video/audio for example) but it looks like Apple's own apps should be allowed access by default but are denied by defaut.

 

[pbmv]

Found a clumsy workaround that's been effective for my Beats 3 Solo and AirPods:
Open the Sound pane in System Preferences, select your bluetooth device under the Output tab and the Input tab, leaving the Sound pane open with the Input tab displayed.

Tested satisfactorily with Skype, iTunes, and Safari.

Wednesday edit: Was hoping to report a reinstall of the beta cleared up matters. Alas, no dice. Situation same as above.

 

[CuratedLanguage]

I tried a couple third-party apps (Chrome and PodcastMenu) to no luck. I also tried your last suggestion, pbmv, and you're right that audio does come through, but it sounds muffled, full of static, and almost like it's in the background; the closest analogy I can think of is that it's like listening to an AM broadcast (and maybe even one that's ever-so-slightly off-frequency) compared to listening to clear FM quality. That's not the greatest or most accurate comparison, but I hope you get the idea. I submitted feedback to Apple, hopefully others do, too, and I'll keep my ears open for further ideas and troubleshooting. Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

[alex.kirs]

Doesn't work with any of my bluetooth devices. Beta 3 worked great. Beta 4 for all devices gives error creating encoder. For AirPods - unable to create AAC encoder. For Bluetooth speaker - unable to create SBC encoder. (in console log)
[doublepost=1532004088][/doublepost]

I tried a couple third-party apps (Chrome and PodcastMenu) to no luck. I also tried your last suggestion, pbmv, and you're right that audio does come through, but it sounds muffled, full of static, and almost like it's in the background; the closest analogy I can think of is that it's like listening to an AM broadcast (and maybe even one that's ever-so-slightly off-frequency) compared to listening to clear FM quality. That's not the greatest or most accurate comparison, but I hope you get the idea. I submitted feedback to Apple, hopefully others do, too, and I'll keep my ears open for further ideas and troubleshooting. Thanks for the feedback so far!

I think what it basically does when you open input tab - play audio from your microphone. Thats why it plays with so bad quality.

 

[Socca5]

Doesn't work with any of my bluetooth devices. Beta 3 worked great. Beta 4 for all devices gives error creating encoder. For AirPods - unable to create AAC encoder. For Bluetooth speaker - unable to create SBC encoder. (in console log)
[doublepost=1532004088][/doublepost]
I think what it basically does when you open input tab - play audio from your microphone. Thats why it plays with so bad quality.

Same with me. My JBL Flip 4 doesn't work anymore with my Macbook Pro. Beta 3 worked fine.

Anyone tested Siri yet? does not work with Beta 3 nor with Beta 4.

 

[mikzn]

Found a clumsy workaround that's been effective for my Beats 3 Solo and AirPods:
Open the Sound pane in System Preferences, select your bluetooth device under the Output tab and the Input tab, leaving the Sound pane open with the Input tab displayed.

Tested satisfactorily with Skype, iTunes, and Safari.

Wednesday edit: Was hoping to report a reinstall of the beta cleared up matters. Alas, no dice. Situation same as above.

tried your solution - at first no joy - but strangely after trying it - went back to "Output" and it worked - maybe it is just a time thing or trying the output first helped ? not sure - but air pods work on 10.14 Beta (18A336e) after reading you post - thx!

Will try later with the Bose quiet comfort

 

[Sovon Halder]

Found a clumsy workaround that's been effective for my Beats 3 Solo and AirPods:
Open the Sound pane in System Preferences, select your bluetooth device under the Output tab and the Input tab, leaving the Sound pane open with the Input tab displayed.

Tested satisfactorily with Skype, iTunes, and Safari.

Wednesday edit: Was hoping to report a reinstall of the beta cleared up matters. Alas, no dice. Situation same as above.

Doing this I get the sound of the mic mode. Where the quality of the sound is something similar to cellular calls.

From output tab I get no sound AirPods selected.
[doublepost=1532110815][/doublepost]

 

[barnaby117]

I’m having the same issue with Bose wireless headphones and AirPods.

 

[mikzn]

Found a clumsy workaround that's been effective for my Beats 3 Solo and AirPods:
Open the Sound pane in System Preferences, select your bluetooth device under the Output tab and the Input tab, leaving the Sound pane open with the Input tab displayed.

Will try later with the Bose quiet comfort

works great on the Bose Quiet Comfort - blue tooth - great work around - Thanks PBMV!

 

[pbmv]

Today's beta...5(?) settled my bluetooth issues. I hope everyone else's too.

That was a long two weeks.

 

[mikzn]

thx - did not know there was a new beta - going there now

 

[Sovon Halder]

thx - did not know there was a new beta - going there now

Not public beta. It’ll come later today.

Desperately waiting. Been counting days for the last two weeks.

 

[CuratedLanguage]

The issue is resolved for me in today's public beta release (18A347e). Thanks again, everyone!

 

[eoblaed]

Related, I noticed with the dev beta release yesterday that, while I could get my Sony MDR-1000X headphones to work, something about it interfered with my keyboard/trackpad. While the headphones were linked up and listening to music, moving my finger across the trackpad, the cursor would jitter around the screen, making it difficult to use. The keyboard would take very long periods of time to register keystrokes. If I plugged those devices in via lightning cable, they became fully responsive again. Same once I disconnected the headphones.

 

[eoblaed]

Related, I noticed with the dev beta release yesterday that, while I could get my Sony MDR-1000X headphones to work, something about it interfered with my keyboard/trackpad. While the headphones were linked up and listening to music, moving my finger across the trackpad, the cursor would jitter around the screen, making it difficult to use. The keyboard would take very long periods of time to register keystrokes. If I plugged those devices in via lightning cable, they became fully responsive again. Same once I disconnected the headphones.

For what its worth, today's dev beta 6 (18A353d) fixed this issue.

 

[brklynmark]

Found a clumsy workaround that's been effective for my Beats 3 Solo and AirPods:
Open the Sound pane in System Preferences, select your bluetooth device under the Output tab and the Input tab, leaving the Sound pane open with the Input tab displayed.

Tested satisfactorily with Skype, iTunes, and Safari.

Wednesday edit: Was hoping to report a reinstall of the beta cleared up matters. Alas, no dice. Situation same as above.

PBMV you're a lifesaver. Over a year later and fully updated but I have the same issue and this "solved" it