Google Nexus 5X + Anker Soundbuds Sport = bad distoted connection

#1

I bought the Anker Soundbuds Sport in April 2016 from Amazon and recently switched from a good old Motorola Moto G (1st gen, Bluetooth 4.0) to a Google Nexus 5X (Bluetooth 4.2). It has also gotten the latest update to Android 7.1.1. The Anker Soundbuds Sport have been performing flawlessly with the Moto G (and still do as a quick test reveals, so the Anker Soundbuds Sport are definitely not broken), but with the Google Nexus 5X I get considerable connection problems.

The connection is breaking up, is distorted and ultimately not usable. With a bit of testing I found out that it depends on the angle between the Nexus 5X and Anker Soundbuds Sport, as strange as that sounds. Like when I tilde my head the connection is good and when I straighten up its bad or the other way around, depending how I turn and twist the earpieces. Or when I grab the phone (and potentially block a signal with my hands) versus the phone lying flat on a surface, but even then the “wrong” angle can absolutely destroy the connection.

I also tested this with another set of Bluetooth earphones - the CSL 450 LE Bluetooth Headset if you’re interested - and this works fine, no mater how far away, no matter if I grab the phone, no matter the angle I tilde my head. From a first glance both the Anker and the CSL headset use the same Bluetooth standard (4.0) so that cannot be the issue either.

Further testing actually revealed that the source of the distortion seems to be the Nexus 5X itself. Thing is…when I’m near with the Anker Soundbuds Sport connected there is horrible distorition. When I step one or two meters away from the device the connection is crystal clear. It also doesn’t make a difference whether I disable all active connections (including regular cell service by switching airplane-mode on) or not.

But again…any other bluetooth device I tried does not behave like this!

Any ideas?

PS: Wrote to official support 3 days ago, but no answer so far.

#2

Try this: pinching the Nexus 5X along different parts of the body, usually mid-way along the longest edge.

My suspicion is you have a 5X leaking some energy in the 2.5Ghz band off a loose solder off the GSM antennae.

#3

Reading through the customer reviews of some similar bluetooth headsets on Amazon I’m learning just now that you’re supposed to wear your smartphone in some specific locations at your body, like left side or right side, so this seems to be…well maybe not common, but also not uncommon and not a coincidence.

Did you suggest that the 5X is somehow broken or do you agree that the above is true?

There are certain things that do not match up with your theory:

  • my other bluetooth headset (big one) work just fine, whether the 5X is leaking something or not
  • while it is true that my home wifi is solely working in the 2.4ghz bandwith, I disabled it for testing
  • I also disabled all other signals from the 5X by going into airplane mode, just leaving bluetooth on
  • my old smartphone too was using 2.4ghz for wifi and didn’t have any problem with the Anker

Well I guess next step will be testing another, similar in-ear bluetooth headset. I will buy one off of Amazon and see if it shows the same problems. If it does it might be the 5X after all. If it doesn’t however…

PS: Tested your suggestion, it indeed works if I wear the 5X along my body axis, right or left pocket. So why this would work for just walking around, liesting to music, but every time I pull out the phone to look at the screen it is in the “perfect” position to distort the sound beyond recognition. This can’t be how it’s supposed to work.

#4

My partner is having a simmilar issue with the ear buds and his Nexus 5x… Yet they work on a Pixel and a 6p.

When I first gave him the buds they worked no problem. Then after a few weeks they started having “under water sounds” and disconnecting.
I’ve not contacted support yet. Keep forgetting…

#5

Well they keep forgetting, too. Been 5 days, no answer. Will get a different set (different manufacturer) on saturday. Let’s see if it makes a difference.

#6

email to support@anker.com has been ignored for 5 days?

I’d forgive the long MLK weekend for 3 of those 5 days but still 5 days…

I had the IE20 failure a month or so ago, worked for months then went crackly for the other end, emailed support@anker.com, and got a reply in a day and a resolution in 2 days.

#7

Admitedly I didn’t know there was a special holiday, as there wasn’t one where I live, but of course it’d be plain ignorant to not acknowledge this. So only two days then, which is reasonable, because…

…they did answer today. Very friendly and offered a 15% refund, too.

They think it’s some kind of incompatibility and promised to try and fix it for future versions of the earbuds.

#8

Dear GODzillaGSPB, this problem isn’t a news. I think is the same problem with Bluetooth car devices and, if is it, soon, very soon, you’ll get the solution for this annoying problem.

Google solved the problem, maybe with the February patch update you’ll solve it.

Here more information: http://www.gsmarena.com/google_resolves_android_711_incar_bluetooth_problem_fix_should_be_arriving_soon-news-22839.php

and here: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=225774

#9

Thanks for the info, but it is either not connected to this particular issue at all or simply not that simple.:wink:

Today I got another pair of in-ear bluetooth earphones and they work fine. Different manufactureer, almost same stats (like 8 hours music, 300h standbye, 2h charge time etc.) and comparable price (24€) and they work perfectly fine. They connect, there is no distortion when close to the 5X.

The only difference is bluetooth standard 4.0 with the Anker Soundbuds Sport versus bluetooth 4.1 with the new set. And of course there are probably difference in internal design.

Like I said, Anker themselves, when they answered my e-mail, suggested it to be a design fault, one which they’ll attempt to fix with newer versions of the Earbuds. I got a partial refund and will probably just sell the Anker Soundbuds.