User profile for user: Yaldas16
Yaldas16 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Bluetooth headphones sound muffled on macOS Tahoe 26.1

I’m using a MacBook Air M4 running macOS Thaoe 26.1 and I’ve noticed a consistent issue with Bluetooth audio quality.


When connecting Soundcore Q30 headphones (and even Galaxy Buds2), the audio sounds very muffled and flat compared to Android or Windows devices.

There’s no “Stereo” or “A2DP” output profile visible in the Sound settings — it only shows a single “Soundcore Q30” device.

And I already tried repairing, forcing AAC in terminal, changing mic to MacBook Air microphone, but its still muffled

Is anyone else experiencing this issue or know how to fix it?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 26.1

Posted on Nov 6, 2025 12:06 PM

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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
User level: Level 10
157,584 points

Posted on Nov 6, 2025 1:17 PM

I believe the problem is that macOS isn’t correctly switching the Bluetooth codec from the low-quality SCO (used for calls/mic input) to A2DP (used for music playback). Normally, when you select the Mac’s internal microphone, macOS should drop the SCO link and use AAC or SBC for higher fidelity.


Unfortunately, at this time, I do not know of a "permanent" fix, only the following workarounds ... which sounds (no pun intended) you have already tried:


  • First, go to System Settings › Sound › Output, and toggle between your Bluetooth device and “MacBook Air Speakers” a couple of times — that can sometimes force the codec refresh.
  • Second, open Audio MIDI Setup, select your headphones, and ensure the “Format” is set to 2ch-16bit 44.1kHz. If it’s greyed out or shows “1ch 8kHz,” you’re definitely stuck in SCO mode. Disconnect the headset, run sudo killall bluetoothd, and reconnect — that often reinitializes the A2DP session.
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User profile for user: Tesserax
Tesserax
User level: Level 10
157,584 points

Nov 6, 2025 1:17 PM in response to Yaldas16

I believe the problem is that macOS isn’t correctly switching the Bluetooth codec from the low-quality SCO (used for calls/mic input) to A2DP (used for music playback). Normally, when you select the Mac’s internal microphone, macOS should drop the SCO link and use AAC or SBC for higher fidelity.


Unfortunately, at this time, I do not know of a "permanent" fix, only the following workarounds ... which sounds (no pun intended) you have already tried:


  • First, go to System Settings › Sound › Output, and toggle between your Bluetooth device and “MacBook Air Speakers” a couple of times — that can sometimes force the codec refresh.
  • Second, open Audio MIDI Setup, select your headphones, and ensure the “Format” is set to 2ch-16bit 44.1kHz. If it’s greyed out or shows “1ch 8kHz,” you’re definitely stuck in SCO mode. Disconnect the headset, run sudo killall bluetoothd, and reconnect — that often reinitializes the A2DP session.
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Bluetooth headphones sound muffled on macOS Tahoe 26.1

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