Music cutting out every 15 seconds

[Halpertal]

On my first run today with my paired Bluetooth headphones, and while I able to listen to music just fine while warming up, as soon as I started the Running app, every 15 seconds I would get a "lost connection" message, then it would start playing music again. 

I couldn't really handle all the interruptions and took my headphones off. I'm guessing my bargain basement headphones may have low fault tolerance, OR the fitbit is doing something else like checking in on GPS every 15 seconds and drops the Bluetooth all together?

I'm using an IONIC. 

[mariossp]

I am using Soundpeats Q29 with the Ionic and the connection between them is excellent, the problem i am facing with music is the whole syncing procedure.

[MFLitchfield]

My experience has been very similar with my Jaybird x3 headset.  Once difference is it was spotty and not a consistent every 15sec but was more than a bit annoying.

[Halpertal]

hum, I guess I'll have to look into getting some that will work with ionic. I was hoping it would be a watch setting. Should I hold out for fitbit to come out with a software update and hopefully patch this issue? 

[mariossp]

A software update is what everyone here is waiting for eagerly since there are many issues with our device,let’s hope the developers are watching these threads.

[MFLitchfield]

My 2c is that it is an Ionic issue not the headset. I've run with this exact headset for 6 months with my phone either in my pocket or in an arm bands and never had 1 issue. Doesn't lend itself (at least to me) as an issue with the headset.....

[POTATOEMAN]

I think I have a solution for this. 

I had a similar issue, i was wearing the Ionic on my LEFT wrist, but the controls for my Bluetooth headset are on the RIGHT side earbud. I would get interruptions. Maybe the Bluetooth signal can't go through my thick cranium ? I figured the Bluetooth receiver was where the controls are, so I switched the Ionic to my RIGHT wrist. This fixed the problem. I just keep the Ionic on my right wrist and I've become used to it after a couple of days.

If you do this, remember to switch in your Fitbit software to 'Dominant' wrist on the Ionic setup page...

[Halpertal]

This seems like an odd solution, since they work fine while i'm doing things around the house, but as soon as i start the running activity is when the problem starts. I'll try it on tomorrow's run and see what happens. 

I've never had an issue with my phone strapped to my left shoulder. If this really is the fix, the ionics bluetooth signal must be really weak.

[POTATOEMAN]

The Bluetooth signal goes in a straight line. If the signal has to go from the Ionic to your RIGHT earphone, think about the location of the Ionic when you are running and swinging your arms. At some point, when the Ionic is near your LEFT hip, the Bluetooth signal has to go in a straight line through 30 inches or so of your body. There's a lot of water in your body, and Bluetooth is blocked by water. (according to the Internet, a few inches of water will block a Bluetooth signal)

[dermbrian]

Bluetooth outdoors is tougher than bluetooth indoors.  There are no objects to bounce the signal around to help it reach the phone.  The line of site transmission is the only signal path. 

Audio transmission on bluetooth is a bit different than most data transmissions.  As I understand it, the receiving device doesn't have to acknowledge each packet of data, and so there is no resending of data missed by the receiver (headphones).

I come to the Ionic from the TomTom Spark.  That device initially had very bad performance even with their own headphones.  I actually ended up buying a little clipon bluetooth receiver that I wear at my front waist and use Yurbud wired headphones from there.  I plan to borrow my wife's Beats bluetooth headphones at some point to see if they work well.  In the meantime, I'll be following these threads. 

In short, this is hard.  Small battery, low power, body in the way, one signal path balanced against battery life.  If this was a big problem with multiple headsets, there would probably be a LOT more posts like this.  I looked for these kinds of issues in early reviews, and didn't see any.

Brian

[MFLitchfield]

Could also be that the music is such a pain to load on the device right now most people aren't even using it.......  I guess I'll try it on the other wrist just for test purposes but not going to claim I'll be happy if it works. Honestly if it does fix it the Ionic is being returned and I'll get a different device.

[MFLitchfield]

Good news and bad news. Just went for a quick 20 min run with it on my right wrist (yes I shared the app also). Bluetooth didn't cut out once. So your suggestion was spot on. Unfortunately that means this device is probably being returned.  Hard to believe the radio is so under powered that 1-2 feet breaks it.

[mariossp]

This is quite unfortunate. It makes you wonder what kind of testing was implemented prior to releasing the product.

[POTATOEMAN]

This is not a defect, it's simple physics. ANY watch with onboard music and Bluetooth is going to behave in the same way. Radio signals do not travel well through the human body, and if your body gets between the transmitter and the receiver, it's going to cut out. It happens with Apple watch too. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/56i1lf/bluetooth_headphones_cut_out_when_using_watch/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7037620?start=0&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7025135?tstart=0

[Halpertal]

Why is it only when i'm running? When i stand here right now playing music off my watch I can hold it steady down by my side (largest amount of body between me and the headphones) and it's fine. I'll do more testing, but I don't accept that this is as good as it gets. 

[POTATOEMAN]

I assume you were indoors when you tested this ?  The signal is bouncing off the walls. Try doing it outside in a wide open area.  I was able to reproduce this effect, at will, outside in the middle of my yard with no houses or cars or trees nearby. In my kitchen, i could not get the music to cut out.

i thought maybe the signal might bounce up off the street or sidewalk, but it doesn't; vertical surfaces, like walls, seem to work better for bouncing the signal.

[budafudawuda]

I bought my Ionic today and it's been absolute nightmare.

I finally got the music on (this was an ordeal).  My bluetooth headphones cut out every three seconds, so it's like listening to a skipped record.  Also, the playback speed/pitch of the music is wrong.  It's high, sounds slightly chipmunky.

This is my first Fitbit and I'm very unimpressed.

[Halpertal · Accepted solution]

SOLVED:

I finally figured out my particular issue. I chose a nice wet and cold day to go for a run to test things out. As I'm warming up in my house things are great, I'm listening to music (which was really fun to get on the watch) then I started the running app. I'm waiting for it to connect to GPS, and go for a run. I'm just past my neighbors house, when again "Bluetooth connection lost" comes in my hears. Mind you, the music starts right up again.

I can't take it anymore, I turn the headset off. I start to wonder what would happen if i tried to reconnect to headset. I stop in a cold wet spot but can't get the headphones to reconnect to the watch. I also can't get to any other settings while I'm in "Run mode" on the watch so I stop my run. Repair my headset, and voila. I'm not listening to deathmetal and eurodance (hey, whatever gets the feet to move right?). 

Ok so what just happened....

TL:DR version: My headphones were paired with my phone as well as my watch. I was running out of the zone for my phone. Not so much an Ionic issue, as the way my headphones handle loosing connection to a device. I've removed the pairing to my phone and now it's all good again. 

[Therd3]

It's weak Bluetooth signal. When the watch goes behind me it cuts out or it I hold the watch next to my body it cut out. It's not my headphones. I can go 60 feet and 3 rooms away from my phone and the headphones do not cut out. 

It's a weak signal from the Ionic!

The Ionic has more problems than I care to deal with! It's most likely going back!

[budafudawuda]

I suppose it's too much to expect an employee from Fitbit to actually apologise and say, "Yep, we stuffed up. We let our users own." My music is still playing at chipmunk speed and doesn't connect to my Bluetooth headphones for more than three seconds.