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MB Pro with T2 chip has BlueTooth Stuttering problems

I have a 2018 MB Pro 15" with 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 chip, 16 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 and Radeon Pro 560X. I am pairing my Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless speakers via BlueTooth. I am experiencing significant clipping / stuttering problems with audio streaming (regardless of whether I'm streaming audio via YouTube on Safari, Tidal Mac OS App, Audirvana Mac OS App). I am confident the problem is with MB Pro because when I use the keyboard to perform another task while streaming then the problem acutely worsens. I also tried the same Bluetooth speaker streaming from iPad via BlueTooth and it streamed fine without any clipping or stuttering. So, clearly it's not the speaker's problem.


I have already tried the following:

Restart Computer

Disconnect and reconnect bluetooth device

Reset Bluetooth Module and restart

Reset SMC Ram and restart

Delete Bluetooth preference file and restart

Reset Bluetooth speaker and reconnect from beginning


I also tried the same Bluetooth speaker on iPad and it streamed fine without any clipping or stuttering. So, clearly it's not the speaker's problem.


Any other recommendations?

MacBook Pro 15”, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 21, 2019 9:16 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 21, 2019 12:50 PM

Whenever someone tells me they are having BT problems my first recommendation is that they unplug and turn off every peripheral device except for a keyboard and mouse. If you have a cordless phone or baby monitor near the computer all move or turn them off. If your BT problems disappear, one by one turn on and plug in the peripherals.


External hard drives and USB hubs & docks are often inadequately shielded and cables often have no shielding at all. If you determine that a specific peripheral device is the cause you may be able to simply move it to a new location or further away from the computer or mouse/keyboard. You may find that shielded USB cables are the answer.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 21, 2019 12:50 PM in response to BerkeleyScribe

Whenever someone tells me they are having BT problems my first recommendation is that they unplug and turn off every peripheral device except for a keyboard and mouse. If you have a cordless phone or baby monitor near the computer all move or turn them off. If your BT problems disappear, one by one turn on and plug in the peripherals.


External hard drives and USB hubs & docks are often inadequately shielded and cables often have no shielding at all. If you determine that a specific peripheral device is the cause you may be able to simply move it to a new location or further away from the computer or mouse/keyboard. You may find that shielded USB cables are the answer.

Jul 21, 2019 11:15 AM in response to BerkeleyScribe

BerkeleyScribe wrote:

After some reading online, I disabled auto date -time and time zone sync. That improved the problem, but it didn't completely solve the problem.




Bluetooth - Apple Support


Connect a Bluetooth device with your Mac - Apple Support


Using a Bluetooth mouse, keyboard, or trackpad with ... - Apple Support


Pair a third-party Bluetooth accessory with your ... - Apple Support


Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by ... - Apple Support


Apple USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program - Apple Support


https://www.apple.com/support/usbc-chargecable/




see—Grant Bennet-Alder

https://discussions.apple.com/message/33794588#message33794588


USB C dongle kills wifi 


Why do I have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer?


Some USB 3 devices can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer. 



Here are some tips to avoid this issue:


If your USB device has a cable long enough that you can move the device, place it away from your Mac—and make sure not to place it behind your Mac, or near the hinge of its display. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there might interfere with your wireless connections.




If you're using adapters or dongles on a Mac computer with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, plug them into the front port on the left side of your Mac, or into the ports on the right side (if your computer has them). These ports are the farthest away from the antennas, making interference less likely.




To avoid interference on the 2.4GHz band using Wi-Fi, try using the 5GHz band instead. You can change this on your wireless base station. Bluetooth always uses 2.4GHz, so this alternative isn't available for Bluetooth.




ref: Using USB devices with your Mac


https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201163

MB Pro with T2 chip has BlueTooth Stuttering problems

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