If you're using a Bluetooth headset, the playback quality might degrade considerably as soon as the microphone of the Bluetooth headset is activated in Apple macOS as well as Microsoft Windows.
Problem Description
- You're playing audio - e.g. listening to music or playing a YouTube video - while you are in a Zoom meeting, a CoScreen session, or another video or audio chat application.
- Suddenly, the audio quality degrades considerably.
- The problem typically occurs if the microphone of the Bluetooth is selected as an audio input device.
Solution: How to improve the audio playback quality when using a Bluetooth headset
The reason why your audio quality is poor when using a BT headset might be that your operating system might have changed its audio profile. Bluetooth headsets are typically only being able to use one audio profile at a time.
Bluetooth headsets typically use the A2DP profile when playing audio as it is optimized for high audio quality. The drawback is that you can't use your microphone while your Bluetooth headset is using the A2DP profile.
When you choose the microphone of your BT headset as audio input - e.g. during a CoScreen session or a Zoom meeting - the profile switches to the HSP or HFP profile so you can use your microphone but the sound quality degrades considerably.
Solution 1: Choose another audio input
- The solution is to pick another audio input source that isn't your Bluetooth headset's microphone, for example, your laptop's built-in microphone.
- This is what Apple says about that problem with regards to macOS:
"If sound quality is reduced when using Bluetooth headphones with your Mac:
Quit any apps that use your Bluetooth headphones' built-in microphone, then try your audio again."
Solution 2: Restart the application
- If solution 1 did not fix the issue even after you have changed your audio input, you might have to restart the application (e.g. CoScreen) due to an issue in Google Chrome which many video conferencing solutions are based on.