10 Reasons Why My Bluetooth Headphones Stutter (With Solutions)

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Audio stutter in Bluetooth headphones is a common problem, and it can be irritating when you are streaming your favorite music or watching the latest movie. Often people find themselves tinkering with Bluetooth headphone settings without success trying to stop a stutter. So, why do Bluetooth headphones stutter?

Most Bluetooth headphones stutter because of an interruption between the audio device and the headphones. The issues may be the distance between the devices, other electrical appliances, updating an operating system on your phone or computer, bugs, among other issues. You can try several solutions at home before you decide to buy replacement headphones.

I will explain various methods to try and remove the stutter on your Bluetooth headphones. They are simple and easy to perform in a couple of minutes. You don’t need to be an expert on Bluetooth devices to implement the following fixes.

Why Do My Bluetooth Headphones Stutter?

There are many reasons why your Bluetooth headphones are stuttering. Bluetooth gadgets are part of everyone’s daily lives, but the solutions that work for one device may not work for the rest. I will explore various issues that cause Bluetooth headphones to stutter and offer suitable solutions. 

1. Incorrect Pairing 

Bluetooth headphones can pair incorrectly with a mobile phone, computer, or audio device. It is common for some devices not to pair well the first time. However, you solve the issue by pairing your devices afresh. 

Solution: You need to unpair your headphones from your audio device. Turn off your headphones and device before turning them on and trying to pair them again. Any connection issues between your headphones and audio device should correct themselves when you pair the devices afresh. 

2. Devices Out Of Range 

You may be out of your device’s Bluetooth range if you are experiencing audio stutter at a specific area of the house. Most people leave their audio devices in one location and proceed to do other things around the house. It would be best if you experienced audio stutter when you are out of the Bluetooth range. 

Solution: Bluetooth has a range of about 30ft without any obstacles between two devices, and the range goes down when there are obstacles. You can keep your audio device in the same room or find a middle ground for your audio device. Staying within the range of your Bluetooth devices should solve the audio stutter issues. 

READ MORE! Why Bluetooth Headphones Cut Out When Phone Is In A Pocket!

3. Low Battery 

Bluetooth technology requires energy to transmit audio content from the audio device to your headphones. A low battery in one of the two devices can lead to an audio stutter. Most people ignore their gadget’s battery levels before connecting Bluetooth headphones to listen to audio content. 

Solution: Ensure your audio device and headphones have enough charge before using them. Also, carry chargers if you know you will be using wireless headphones for a long time. You can recharge your audio device or headphones whenever the battery is low. 

READ MORE! Battery Drain: Hacks For Bluetooth Headphones (Explained)

4. Signal Interferences 

Bluetooth signals are subject to environmental interferences from other electronics in the house or WiFi signals. You may notice that your headphones stutter when you turn on certain appliances or in a room full of electronics. 

Building materials like concrete and steel can interfere with Bluetooth signals and cause headphone stutter. Bluetooth signals cannot transmit across multiple concrete walls or steel-reinforced doors.

Solution: Use your Bluetooth headphones in areas that don’t have high WiFi traffic and few electronic appliances. Avoiding areas that can cause Bluetooth signal interference should help clear your headphone stutter. Also, carry your audio device if you are in a room with concrete walls or steel reinforces buildings.

READ MORE! Do Microwaves Affect Bluetooth Signals?

5. Headphone Updates 

Bluetooth headphones come with firmware that ensures that the headphones work as they should. Moreover, Bluetooth headphone manufacturers release software updates to ensure that the headphones can keep up with new audio devices software. Your headphones can start to stutter if you aren’t using the latest firmware. 

Solution: Update your headphone firmware every time there is a new release. It would be best to try updating headphone firmware when you buy a new mobile phone or computer. Old headphone firmware may not be compatible with the OS of a new phone or laptop.

6. Mobile Phone and Computer Updates 

Sometimes mobile phone and computer software updates can interfere with your Bluetooth headphone connection. If you started experiencing headphone stutter after a software update on your audio devices, the new software is the issue.

Solution: You should unpair your headphones to your audio device and pair them after the software update. If it doesn’t work, update your Bluetooth headphone firmware to the latest version and pair them to your audio devices. 

7. Bandwidth Overload 

Nowadays, people don’t want to unpairing Bluetooth headphones from one device and connect them to another. Therefore, technology like Handsoff seamlessly connects Bluetooth headphones from one device to the next when you are close to a new appliance. Sadly, the connection to multiple devices can cause headphone stutter.

Solution: Ensure that your Bluetooth headphones have a connection with one device at a time. Turn off Handoff or any other app that automatically connects your headphones to the nearest audio device. Manually pair your Bluetooth headphones to ensure you don’t overload your Bluetooth bandwidth.

8. Bluetooth Signal Incompatibility 

Your headphone stutter may be due to having two incompatible Bluetooth versions between your audio device and headphones. For example, Bluetooth 5 is compatible with Bluetooth 4, but it doesn’t work with Bluetooth 2. Check out the Bluetooth versions your gadgets are using to see whether they are compatible. 

Solution: Use an audio device that uses the same version of Bluetooth as your headphones. Alternatively, upgrade the Bluetooth chip on your headphones to the latest version for better performance. 

9. Obsolete Headphones 

Sometimes Bluetooth headphones stutter because they are obsolete and aren’t compatible with current audio devices. Technology is moving fast, and it is normal for some electronics o become outdated because they use old technology. 

Solution: Try connecting your wireless headphones to various audio devices to ensure that your headphone stutter is persistent across different devices. You should buy new Bluetooth headphones, especially if the ones you have are 3-5 years old. 

10. Physical Damage

Bluetooth headphones can have a stutter if an internal component is damaged. Headphones can get physical damage if they fall, get hit, or mishandling occurs in any way. Sometimes you will hear a loose element for your headphones moving around. 

Solution: Find an expert on Bluetooth headphone repairs or buy a new pair. Minor damages require repairs, but it would be best to purchase replacement headphones if the damage is significant. 

How Do I Find Out Why My Bluetooth Headphones Stutter?

It can be hard to decide what fix to use for your headphone stutter if you don’t know what is wrong. A Bluetooth headphone stutter can be due to many reasons, and accurately pinpointing the source makes it easy to find a solution. You can do a few things to find out the root cause of your headphone stutter. 

• Walk around areas you use your Bluetooth headphones and identify locations where the stutter starts. Find out if you are out of the Bluetooth range or near things that can cause signal interferences. 
• Confirm the last time you run a firmware update for your Bluetooth headphones. 
• Check the Bluetooth connection between your headphones and the audio device. 
• Try to remember if you run updates for your phone, computer, or other audio devices. 
• Try to remember the exact time you noticed your headphone stutter and if anything significant happened that day. 
• Check if you are using your Bluetooth headphones in high WiFi traffic areas. 

If you can’t identify the cause of your Bluetooth headphone stutter, you have to try out various fixes until you find one that works for you. 

Conclusion

There are many reasons why Bluetooth headphones stutter, but most of them are fixable with a bit of troubleshooting. However, there is always a chance that nothing works, and you need to buy new Bluetooth headphones for a stutter-free listening experience. I hope the information is helpful and you can get your headphones working well again.