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jaydon34 · 12:32 PM

THE FACTS
For those not familar with A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) its basically an audio profile for bluetooth devices so that they may send a stereo signal to a headset or headphones. In theory a device such as a pda or mp3 with an A2DP stack built in can eliminate the need for wired headphones.

THE PROBLEM
Apple at the forefront of bluetooth intergration has equipped nearly all of its computers with built-in bluetooth. The profile which exists allows the use of blue tooth mice, headsets, keyboards, gps recievers and cellular phones to allow data tethering. The problem lies is that Apple has failed to include A2DP in the bluetooth stack. Which leaves all of the users with blue tooth headphones in the dust, with only the choice of using an ugly usb dongle sticking out the side of your laptop. I find it hard to believe that I can use A2DP with my pocket pc and my windows box and not OS x.

THE PLEA
Please Apple remedy the situation. You cant expect us to actually plug things into our brand new Macbooks....... except for those cool magsafe plugs. If anyone has any info or just some general insight feel free to post we need this fixed asap.

Apfhex · May 24, 2006, 01:20 AM

Is this be a limitation of the OS, the firmware, or the hardware? That is to say: could support be added without replacing the hardware? Does OS X support A2DP with other hardware?

jaydon34 · 12:33 PM

I don't believe its a hardware limitiation being that apple is always pretty current with its hardware. I think its more like something that needs to be written into the bluetooth stack (driver). Apple may not want to add this feature as it may discourage ipod sales. With a2dp installed on your notebook from within 30 feet you could change songs and playlists from the headphones eliminating the need for an ipod.

DeputyDoofy · May 24, 2006, 02:21 PM

I can clear some of this up. I am 99% sure all Apple related bluetooth chipsets, are the CSR BlueCore range. The CSR BlueCore's fully support A2DP so it is seemingly all a software problem. I think the problem is that Apple are slacking on updating their BT stack in OS X.

In theory actually, all Bluetooth chipsets should support A2DP. I could be wrong but isn't A2DP just a firmware profile? If the Bluetooth chipset has the bandwidth capability (1.1 onwards I presume) there shouldn't be any problems with it at all.

jaydon34 · May 24, 2006, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by mattgirv

I can clear some of this up. I am 99% sure all Apple related bluetooth chipsets, are the CSR BlueCore range. The CSR BlueCore's fully support A2DP so it is seemingly all a software problem. I think the problem is that Apple are slacking on updating their BT stack in OS X.

In theory actually, all Bluetooth chipsets should support A2DP. I could be wrong but isn't A2DP just a firmware profile? If the Bluetooth chipset has the bandwidth capability (1.1 onwards I presume) there shouldn't be any problems with it at all.

Agreed so lets get this rolling. My friends new windows laptop (hp) works with A2DP and hes bragging right now.

Appleman · May 25, 2006, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by jaydon34

Agreed so lets get this rolling. My friends new windows laptop (hp) works with A2DP and hes bragging right now.

I do not have friends with Windows...

jaydon34 · May 25, 2006, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Appleman

I do not have friends with Windows...

You must not have 2 many friends

mrtrsharp · May 28, 2006, 10:46 PM

OK guys...just joined this forum...and I say its time for action...

The Palm OS has (like the Mac) had Bluetooth support for sometime (although only BT 1.2...nto the better 2.0 +EDR)....and like Apple for reasons best known to themselves Palm hadn't included AD2P and AVRCP profiles.

So late in 2004 one of the Palm forums (after making the same discovery you guys just made that adding bluetooth profiles isn't a hardware thing) launched a challenge to the software community to produce an add on software for the Palm OS to add the missing bluetooth profiles

See http://discuss.treocentral.com/showt...3&page=1&pp=20 for their journey.

Hey presto and about 11 months later this product was on the market http://www.softick.com/bluetooth-audio/ and it works...

So how about it...someone willing to make this work on a Mac...must be easier...afterall the Linux / Unix drivers exist and the software must be open source...how hard can it be to make an OS X add on?

pauloma · Jun 12, 2006, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by lifedriveUser

OK guys...just joined this forum...and I say its time for action...

The Palm OS has (like the Mac) had Bluetooth support for sometime (although only BT 1.2...nto the better 2.0 +EDR)....and like Apple for reasons best known to themselves Palm hadn't included AD2P and AVRCP profiles.

So late in 2004 one of the Palm forums (after making the same discovery you guys just made that adding bluetooth profiles isn't a hardware thing) launched a challenge to the software community to produce an add on software for the Palm OS to add the missing bluetooth profiles

See http://discuss.treocentral.com/showt...3&page=1&pp=20 for their journey.

Hey presto and about 11 months later this product was on the market http://www.softick.com/bluetooth-audio/ and it works...

So how about it...someone willing to make this work on a Mac...must be easier...afterall the Linux / Unix drivers exist and the software must be open source...how hard can it be to make an OS X add on?

I'd really like to see this myself! I got Softiks Audio Gateway for my Treo and now music from PocketTunes sounds awesome! But I'd rather not kill my phone battery while at work when I could be listening with iTunes on my laptop.

I've posted all over the place about this to no avail. :sigh:
Did you post this request to the Apple web site Bluetooth forum too?

jaydon34 · Jun 12, 2006, 03:59 PM

I tried to get the topic on digg. But I guess its just not nerdy enough for them

FallOutBoyx530 · Jul 24, 2006, 01:40 PM

I had a platronics bluetooth headset that was for my phone, i synced it through my laptop and I COULD hear music plus use the microphone on it. Wondering if it's the same thing as just using the microphone itself?

jaydon34 · Jul 24, 2006, 08:43 PM

yeah it will work A2DP allows stereo not mono like a headset. We still need it.

bowwowman · Jul 28, 2006, 09:17 AM

(although only BT 1.2...not the better 2.0 +EDR)...

FYI: Macs have had BT 2.0+EDR for some time now.......check the specs at the apple store

[email protected] · Oct 14, 2006, 05:58 PM

So how do we go about building a bluetooth driver for Tiger that supports A2DP?

slugslugslug · Oct 14, 2006, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by bowwowman

FYI: Macs have had BT 2.0+EDR for some time now.......check the specs at the apple store

Um, check the post you replied to. It looks like he was saying that Palm uses BT 1.2, unlike Apple, who uses 2.0 + EDR

jaydon34 · Oct 15, 2006, 01:49 AM

Leopard actually has it built into the OS. So I guess we will all be paying 125 bucks just to get A2DP

Ardfry Imaging · Nov 25, 2006, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by jaydon34

Leopard actually has it built into the OS. So I guess we will all be paying 125 bucks just to get A2DP

I have looked through the specs, and it looks like just about every mac will support the upgrade. In general, do most people go through with the upgrades, or if they have the most recent version, do most people avoid the hassle of the upgrade?

What other new BT profiles (e.g., AVRCP) are included in Leopard?

I know I could install the beta, but I don't have a fleet of macs to try it out on. I have just one development and test mac, and I can't afford to wipe out my environment.

jaydon34 · Nov 26, 2006, 02:13 AM

I usually upgrade but I'm the average apple fanboy.

MacAddict4Life · Mar 6, 2007, 04:47 PM

These brand new headphones use Bluetooh 2.0 with A2DP. Currently I can pair them with the computer, but they do not actually CONNECT to the computer, and do not show up to select as a sound output option.

I am willing to not return them and use the mini-jack connected BT transmitter for now, but only if Leopard is likely to let me use them paired straight to my Mac. Any guesses?

Tomchu · Mar 6, 2007, 05:02 PM

Err, I've got a Plantronics Bluetooth headset thinger, and I've paired it with my MBP and used it just fine. It shows as a sound output device in OS X, and I can use it like I would use any sound output device -- iTunes, Skype, whatever.

MacAddict4Life · Mar 6, 2007, 06:11 PM

That seems to be how most of them work. However this set uses Bluetooh 2.0, which no other set I know of does. The BT setup assistant sees them and identifies them as headphones, the Device Type lists as Audio, and the Device Services as something called Audio Sink (yes sink, not sync).

I've read somewhere it has to do with the headphones being BT2.0 and stereo only, and the Mac OS not being able to deal with stereo sound out to BT at all.

Not sure. Does anyone know anything more? I have 30 days to return these, and if it looks like they won't work, I definitely will return them!

I must say though, using the mini-jack to BT transmitter, the sound quality is amazing.

jaydon34 · Mar 11, 2007, 01:39 PM

A2DP is in Leopard and that is the feature that enables bluetooth stereo streaming. I say keep the phones until then. I also have bluetooth headphones which I use with my phone until leopard is out.

Click here to read the story.

Peter · Mar 12, 2007, 04:24 AM

hah, finally.
Bought bluetooth headphones presuming that A2DP would be in 10.4, gotta wait for Leopard. Worth it though!

CaptainHaddock · Mar 12, 2007, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by jaydon34

A2DP is in Leopard and that is the feature that enables bluetooth stereo streaming. I say keep the phones until then. I also have bluetooth headphones which I use with my phone until leopard is out.

I wonder if the fact that Leopard runs on ultra-portable devices like the iPhone is a factor.

iCrash · 03:23 PM

I just bought a Motorola DC800 for streaming music to my stereo that uses A2DP (it shows up as a headset in the Bluetooth panel). I was able to get it to work thanks to David Connolly. The solution linked to below is not for your average user. It is an open source solution which requires you to install Xcode and a few other software packages. Be prepared to do a little troubleshooting and experimenting. I had trouble installing esound via Darwinports so I used Fink to install esound instead. Be prepared for kernel panics. I crashed my Macbook a couple of times while letting it play to my stereo unattended for a few hours. It was still worth the effort. At least I know that it is possible to get A2DP to work in Intel Tiger. Apple should be able to support A2DP since most of the work has already been done for them.

As an aside I upgraded Tiger to version 10.4.9 last night, but my DC800 still does not work with the native Mac OS X software. I'm disappointed, but hey at least there is a work around.

Stereo-Bluetooth-Profile-A2DP-on-Mac-OS-X-Tiger

jaydon34 · May 1, 2007, 09:51 PM

I just saw that hack today but that seems like a lot of work just to get a dodgy workaround!!

a2dpuser · Sep 24, 2007, 07:25 AM

Hi,

I found a pretty good and easy solution that does not require jack anymore, have a look at

SkyHorse.Org :: A2DP aka Stereo Bluetooth on Mac OS X: finally an easy and quality solution

passmaster16 · Oct 31, 2007, 09:38 PM

Has anybody tried A2DP on Leopard? Do bluetooth headphones properly pair with the new OS?

hookem2oo7 · Oct 31, 2007, 10:13 PM

Yes. I have a pair of kyocera BT headphones that paired with my MBP with Leopard...no problems at all.

zaczee · Nov 12, 2007, 03:31 PM

All this is great news. I had bought a blue-tooth headset from Sony but to my dismay I found that Tiger on my MBP would not support A2DP. So I was trying to install a third party a2dp streaming software that makes use of Jack OSX. The config was quite a task and I was still trying to figure how to make it work when I hit upon this site. If set up of a2dp on Leopard is trivial I would want to buy Leopard instead and upgrade my Tiger. One thing though, what i finally want to achieve is this:

To get music from iTunes simultaneously through the Sony Headset as well as the inbuilt speakers. Does anyone know if this is possible?

mpancha · Nov 12, 2007, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Tomchu

Err, I've got a Plantronics Bluetooth headset thinger, and I've paired it with my MBP and used it just fine. It shows as a sound output device in OS X, and I can use it like I would use any sound output device -- iTunes, Skype, whatever.

I have a Motorolla HS120 (I believe is the model), and would love to use it with Skype instead of the builin speakers/mic on my MBP, but can't seem to get the headset and MBP to pair.

With A2DP working in leopard, I might be moved to purchase a stereo headset and resolve the problem that way, and get the bonus of having wireless stereo headphones

mduell · Nov 12, 2007, 07:44 PM

So when does the iPhone get the Leopard upgrade?

pravir · Mar 4, 2008, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by a2dpuser

Hi,

I found a pretty good and easy solution that does not require jack anymore, have a look at

SkyHorse.Org :: A2DP aka Stereo Bluetooth on Mac OS X: finally an easy and quality solution

a2dp user - as a novice mac user not knowing unix at all is there any way of running this solution without using terminal? also do you know if it works with the Motorola S9, as David Conolly's solution does not work with this device.

pravir · Mar 4, 2008, 12:45 PM

Okay seems to have installed but now getting this message in Terminal:

Pravirs-Mini:~ pravir$ a2dpcast 00-0d-fd-10-5e-01 27 16

Found audio device "Motorola S9"
No such audio device '16'. Using System Default.

Using audio device "Motorola S9"

sample rate is 8000, channels is 2
discover : received
SEID = 2
SEID 2 : MPEG codec
SEID = 1
Sent set configurations command
set_config : accepted
open : stream channnel
open_stream : ok
start_stream : ok
mtu = 672

frm_len = 2
6000 bytes/sec, hdr.sampling_frequency is 0
Transmitting A2DP, press RETURN to stop.
Bus error

Any thoughts, anyone? Would be much appreciated.