Bluetooth headphone issues

[LittleWardy]

I downloaded the app after a post Christmas weigh in but I have been putting it off. I decided to stop making excuses and went for my first run on Wednesday which was torturous because I live in the Peak District and everywhere is up hill 😫

Anyway I decided to use my wireless headphones and it was really crackled when the trainer was speaking to the point were you couldn’t understand them

Just wondering if this is a common problem

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

I don’t know about the issues... but welcome to the programme and great job getting out there and starting your journey. I’m just outside the Peak District in Glossop... there’s a little bit of flat around if you look in the right places, but those hills do you good if you can cope with them! Enjoy amazing yourself on a regular basis as you complete this.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Sounds like another excuse!

Welcome to the forum and well done on getting started.

This guide to the plan is essential reading healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

There are plenty using BT headphones here, so suspect it is your equipment rather than the app at fault.

Enjoy your journey.

[Hassan22R in reply to IannodaTruffe]

It’s not it’s ur app

[JimTheBluetoothFixer in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Use the setting to reduce loud sounds in Settings, sounds and Haptics, Reduce Loud Sounds. Worked for me (iOs 14.4 Feb 2021)

[SubStandard in reply to JimTheBluetoothFixer]

Thanks Jim, this worked for me and the wife. We had this issue on both of our Bluetooth headsets.

[Taddi in reply to JimTheBluetoothFixer]

Thanks for this! I wondered why cabled earphones were working but my wireless weren’t ! This has fixed the issue for me!

[MarkyD Graduate]

I’ve seen a few posts on this forum about issues with the speech from the app when listening on Bluetooth headphones. I’ve never got to the bottom of it, though.

If it only affects the speech (not the music) then it is likely to be something to do with the “sound enhancing” features of the headphones.

If it is affecting both the speech and the music then it is probably a radio de-tuning effect. Try switching the location where you have your phone so it is nearer to the headphones.

[primaballerina]

I have this problem too. Music is fine. Instructions crackle... haven’t solved it yet...

[Stottygirl Graduate]

I had that problem too with the app but not when using the podcast. Not sure why. Went back to the podcast and no crackling.

[primaballerina in reply to Stottygirl]

I think the pod cast combines the music and voice from one source, with the app, the music is separate... so something odd happens there (only on bluetooth headphones I understand)

[Yumimummi]

Same thing happens to me, it’s annoying; the music is fine, so I have to keep getting my phone out whilst running to check where I’m up to. It’s a shame,apart from that I’m really enjoying it.

[Trazj Graduate]

I get the same. It’s the app. There does not seem to be a way to reduce the volume of the trainer in the app so if you have your music at a listening level the app volume is way too loud so drives the headphones into the red and distorts

[Yeti5 Graduate]

Hi LittleWardy

I'm sorry I can't help with your headphone issues but as a fellow Peak District runner I can highly recommend the bike trails. Mostly flat with an occasional slight incline. If you pick your spot they are also a good place for getting out of the wind.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the programme

[Nelsonsmummy]

Hi, that would drive me crackers! I really like the way my music plays but Sarah Millican cuts in nice and clearly and music dims but continues in the background while she talks then volume picks up again when she’s silent. I was thinking it was a really well designed app! All I can say is no issues at all with these cheap headphones from Amazon, maybe they are too unsophisticated to have the problems others are having?

LETSCOM Bluetooth Headphones IPX7 Waterproof, Wireless Sport Earphones Bluetooth 4.1, HiFi Bass Stereo Sweatproof Earbuds w/Mic, Noise Cancelling Head

Sold by: MiFang Net EU

£16.98

And no, I don’t sell them! 😂 Good luck with the running!

[primaballerina in reply to Nelsonsmummy]

Really useful info - thanks for sharing

[Jormarun in reply to primaballerina]

Did you buy them and did it help? I already have cheap amazon headphones and I’m struggling with the distortion. Might consider changing my headphones if it helped you

[LittleWardy]

Definitely the headphones as I did the second run with my wired in ear headphones and Sarah came through load and clear

[fromby999]

Yes, I have the same issue. I tend to close all open apps down and start C2-5K, bizarrely I find Jo to be the best? For me Sarah is more crackley

[Mummymota]

I’ve come here to find the answer to this problem too! Wired headphones no problem but I’ve 2 sets of Bluetooth ones and it just the app that crackles. Music fine. Even if I put just the app on it’s the same. Plug in the wire and it’s fine. Really annoying when I have just 1 run left until I’ve completed it!

[SusiLush]

Hi, I switched to Bluetooth headphones yesterday, and had exactly the same problem. On reading the comments I thought I’d try switching the coach, and if I set it to Laura I get no crackle. I haven’t tried it on an actual run get, but worth a go - good luck and keep up the good work! 🎧🏃🏻‍♀️🍀

[primaballerina in reply to SusiLush]

interesting observation!

[SusiLush in reply to primaballerina]

I stuck with Laura to the end of the programme 👩‍🎓🎉

[HelliF]

Also have this issue, my music plays perfectly yet every trainer sounds crackled and awful! Is this an app issue?

[Mum0fBoys Graduate]

Did this ever get fixed?

Using wired headphones no problem.

Bluetooth trainer crackled.

Headphone jack broken... so ...crackle ..run.... crackle...

Any suggestions?

[AMurphie in reply to Mum0fBoys]

I’d like to know this too. Terrible crackle with my new ones 🙈

[Wanderingrunner]

I have the same issue with two different sets of Bluetooth headphones but none with wired. On this post someone recommended changing from Sarah to Laura and it has worked 😀 happy now

[Hidden]

I have the same problem with the distorted voices through my Doquas Wireless Headphones, its most definitely an app problem; I have no jack with my new iPhone and I am not about to buy new hardware - it’s a shame the App people do not sort it!

[HeatherDaisy]

I have the same problem, but only on the iPhone version of the app- when I had an Android it worked fine on Bluetooth headphones!

[JimTheBluetoothFixer in reply to HeatherDaisy]

Try settings, sounds and haptics, reduce loud sounds - fixed it for us

[MikeCouch25k]

I've found this site after trying to find a fix for same problem and managed to solve it for my own bluetooth headphones. When connected, go to bluetooth devices and look at the settings for the headphones. Mine had HD Audio checked so I unchecked it and it fixed the issue. Hopefully that'll help someone else!

[JimTheBluetoothFixer]

I've just been asked the same question by my wife and fixed it. The couch to 5 K app appears to use really loud audio that you cannot reduce - too big for the bluetooth headsets (especially the cheaper ones) to cope with. On her iPhone 8 I fixed it. This is how: Go to settings, Sounds & Haptics, Headphone Safety and click on the option to reduce loud sounds. You can then select how many decibels are OK - I chose 85 decibels (that's blinking loud), and the problem immediately fixed. I've created this profile just to help you because I couldn't find the solution anywhere and was about to send the headphones back! I hope somebody gets some benefit.

[Ted_Striker in reply to JimTheBluetoothFixer]

It works! Thanks to everyone who recommended activating the “reduce loud sounds” option in the Settings for iPhone as this has finally stopped the crackling audio. 👍

[Farmer_D]

Worked for me too. Crackling was awful when I changed from wired (digital) Apple EarPods to a set of wireless Jaybird Vista 2 (brand new). Music and speech perfect on everything else (even at max volume). The App’s developers have the audio WAY too loud and they need to fix it. Every coach is too loud for me and it’s noticeably a lot louder than audio from any other apps (BBC Sounds, Apple Music, PodCasts, even loud guitar demos YouTube! Tested with the “reduce loud sounds” off). The daft thing is that if I set the “Reduce Loud Sounds” option to on and to 100dB (which is crazy loud) it still stops the clipping. Which begs the question, just how loud is the App’s audio if “limiting” it to 100dB fixes the clipping?!?! Incidentally tried the 100dB setting as I’m trying not to effect the audio in other Apps - don’t see why I should do that to fix one rogue app.

[Farmer_D in reply to Farmer_D]

Just updated to version 7.8.0 and they seem to have fixed the audio issue. Now even lets you adjust the level slightly.

You can now turn off the “reduce loud sounds” setting.

[halls57]

Okay just had this issue it had been working fine until yesterday but then skipped and no sound from the blue tooth speakers at all.I'm using an Android google pixel 3xl with helm blue tooth speakers and if it helps anybody else I seem to have got around it by turning on live captioning in the sound settings this for some reason made the sound work again on the speakers

[mrschad Graduate]

I literally could kiss you!!!!!! I’ve searched and struggled for a remedy to this and finally think the “reduce loud sounds” has sorted the awful crackling!!! It can’t be the phones when the music is crystal clear and no issues! Hopefully my next run will be crackle free! Finally!!!! Yayyyy!!!! Thank you 😍

[Trackiebottoms]

I did have this with a set of cheaper headphones from amazon but the new ear pods I've bought work fine even though they are again cheap ones from amazon lol 🤷‍♀️