SurfaceBook 2 - Bluetooth Audio Stuttering

Hi Dan,

Thanks for reaching out.  After reading your reply I did some tests on my end.

It turns out that the only time I can reproduce the problem is when I have my laptop lid closed (with the "do nothing" power settings set).  This is how I normally work while at my desk plugged into my dual monitor setup.

If I leave my lid open though, there are no bluetooth issues and I can no longer cause it to drop by just covering the Headphone receiver with my hand... I know ridiculous.

So definitely appears to be an antenna design issue with the laptop closed.  At least in my case.

Would love to know if you have additional information.

Thanks,

James

James,

I'm having the same issue and have been troubleshooting it for quite some time now with not great results. I'm wondering if you're able to correlate the stuttering with processor usage? I seem to experience stuttering when my SB2 is under load... which makes gaming less than awesome. I also seem to experience disconnects/lag with my Bluetooth Surface Ergo keyboard and mouse.

My current work around is to use a 3rd party Bluetooth adapter (Plantronics) for the headphones. No stuttering but I still occasionally experience keyboard/mouse lag. 

At this point I feel like it's gotta be a bluetooth radio issue... either antenna design or firmware. Pretty disappointing. I've got a case open with MS. Will keep you posted on efforts.

Hi James,

We would need to go through different settings and perform a series of troubleshooting to resolve the issue you're experiencing. What audio or video playback app are you using which produces the problem? If this happens with Edge, Pandora, or Groove, try using a different app and see if the problem will also be present.

Next, run the Playing Audio Troubleshooter. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Playing Audio > Run the troubleshooter.

You can also try to disable Audio Enhancements and test different audio formats for your headphones. Refer to these steps:

1. Connect the Bluetooth headphones.
2. In the search bar, type sound and open Sound (Control Panel) from the list of results.
3. Go to the Playback tab and right-click on your device and choose Properties.
4. On the Enhancements tab, tick the Disable all enhancements check box.
5. Click on Apply then OK.
6. Try to play an audio through the Bluetooth headphones you just configured. If there are no changes, proceed to Step 7.
7. Reopen Properties for your Bluetooth speaker.
8. Go to the Advanced tab. Under Default Format, try a different sample rate and bit depth and click on Test. If the audio comes out very well this way, click on Apply then OK.

If the steps above are not successful in resolving the issue, let's check the Bluetooth headphones's driver. Go to Device Manager (Windows key + X > Device Manager) > expand Sound, video and game controllers > right-click on your Bluetooth audio device > Uninstall device. Do not delete the driver software. Then, download and run the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit. Afterwards, perform a forced shutdown by pressing the power button for about 10 seconds. Restart the Surface normally and reconnect the Bluetooth headphones. You may need to go through the initial setup to pair the device again. Just go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Add Bluetooth or other device > Bluetooth. The driver we removed will be reinstalled.

In case you remain challenged with the audio stuttering issue after following the steps, please let me know by replying to this post. We would need to look at the results and try further steps to get this resolved. I'll be notified when you reply and I'll get back to you the soonest I can.

Regards.

Thank you for providing an update, James. Let's check for errors with your Bluetooth devices. Go to Settings (Windows key + I) > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. See if any of the devices show errors. Remove those that show errors and see if the Bluetooth headset will work better. I also suggest you remove those that you no longer use with your Surface, and disconnect all wireless connections except the Bluetooth headset.

I'll be looking forward to your update.

Hello,

I have attempted all of the above workarounds/steps to try and resolve the issue.  The issue still persists though and the Bluetooth Audio quality is very poor still and easy to disrupt.

What are our next steps?

Thanks,

James