AA playback continously pauses

[katonam]

Hi,

I have a problem using Poweramp (build 893) via Android Auto. Playback repeatedly pauses after a couple/few seconds.

This issue started when I changed to a new phone not long ago (Oneplus 8T, Android 11). My old phone (Oneplus 5, Android 10) worked absolutely fine.

Any suggestions?

Thx

[andrewilley]

Try re-pairing the connection, and also Restore Default in PA Settings > Audio > Output in case it has picked up values from your old installation via Google cloud app backup. Also check that your device is not allowing PA to be killed to save battery life while the phone screen is asleep (in Android app settings). Worst cast, try clearing app data so you can start again from fresh.

Andre

[andrewilley]

Oh, and check that the Android Audio device (a car headunit?) isn't sending out extra commands - which you can see in PA Settings > Headset/Bluetooth > Last Processed Commands.

Andre

[katonam]

Thx for the advice, unfortunately none of the above turned out to be helpful. However I attached the log of the last processed commands. This should contain multiple tries (and failures) to start playback. Does that contain anything useful?

poweramp_aa.txt

[andrewilley]

Looks like your BT is disconnecting after a short time. Try using a different output method (such as AudioTrack or AAudio) for your Bluetooth device. Go into PA Settings > Audio > Output > [AudioTrack Output] or [AAudio Output] and enable it for Bluetooth.

Andre

[katonam]

It seems that the issue is present for all audio output methods.

Marton

[andrewilley]

Do you have DVC enabled, if so try turning it off. And if you are using DVC, turn on the 'Disable Bluetooth Absolute Volume' feature in Android Settings > Developer Options. Not sure why that would be causing connections to drop though.

Andre

[katonam]

@andrewilley Tried out as many settings combinations as possible but found no solution. There were a few occasions when i got stable playback (out of hundreds of tries) but only for a single sesson and found no correlation with the settings. Is there any other way to go on? Logs etc?

Thx, M

[andrewilley]

@maxmp - any thoughts? Would a log help diagnose why this connection seems to keep dropping out?

Andre

[maxmp]

From the log - multiple reconnections happen. Poweramp does not have ability, code, or permission to do the BT reconnection, so this is a bit unrelated to the app itself. I guess something may be broken in the firmware for the specific Poweramp use cases/options, so I would try to:

- unpair the headunit and pair it again

- try to switch between AudioTrack/OpenSl/Aaudio outputs

- disable “No dvc for absolute volume” option (note that if you have absolute volume enabled, the combination with DVC will result in very low volume)

[katonam]

@maxmp @andrewilley

Just a quick question related to this topic, but not closely related to PA: Am I correct to suppose that when connected to AA via USB, the audio from my phone should be going through bluetooth?

 

[andrewilley]

@katonam  It varies by device, but I think that's true for the majority of AA headunits. It is for mine anyway; screen content goes via USB, audio via Bluetooth.

If I turn BT off during listening, playback immediately stops and AA then forces BT back on before playback continues.

Andre

[katonam]

@andrewilley Going back to my original issue: what I see on my phone is continous jumping between bluetooth and phone speaker outputs. This causes the playback stopping. Sometimes the cycle finally settles on phone speaker (but never so far on bluetooth) and then things start working. My phone indicates that it uses the speaker output, but the sound comes through the car anyway.

Edited May 21, 2021 by katonam

[andrewilley]

I don't know why, but from the log you sent your device is constantly disconnecting and reconnecting BT, so yes the effect you describe does seem to fit with that. PA doesn't have any code to turn BT on or off, so it must be happening elsewhere.

Andre

[katonam]

@andrewilley Did some searching and got more confused:

On multiple tech sites they say that AA transmits music via the usb cable to the head unit and not bt. Only the phone calls go through bluetooth. Though I also remember my previous phone playing PA music via bt for Android Auto.

If the above is true why does PA try sending the music through bt? I have a couple of other AA compatible music players on my phone (VLC and Musicolet) and they work flawless without even trying to use bt...

Would it be possible to "ask" PA to not to force this whole bt thing and just go via usb?

[andrewilley]

Some AA implementations work the way you describe (some can even do it via wi-fi, which is even better) but I know that my car headunit needs a cable connection for the screen content, and it seems to use BT for the audio. I have no idea if there is any way to override that (I can't find a setting) or if it is just the way my particular unit - and perhaps yours? -  is designed.

Andre 

[dugless]

I recently had a bunch of issues with android auto and power amp with my Tiguan factory head unit. The solution for me was to do a complete factory reset of the head unit. It varies by manufacturer and model. Solution for me was to hold the power button on the head unit until it rebooted. 

[andrewilley]

Also worth trying different output modes for Bluetooth devices in PA Settings > Audio > Output (such as OpenSL ES, Hi-Res, AAudio, or Audiotrack)

Andre

[AFG]

I've just upgraded to Android 11 59.1.A.2.96 on an Xperia 10II. I've used Poweramp for a few years, now on build 905.

I noticed the sound pausing using BT or headphones. Tried a variety of settings then spotted as the display dims the handset locks and audio stops. Turns out I had given permission to Nova Launcher to control the screen lock through - Settings / Security / Device Admin Apps'. 

Hope this helps someone. 

[wl2]

Have had the same issue recently. It has gone after reboot of the head unit of my car (pressed and held power button for about 20 seconds).

Before rebooting car head, I've tried to disconnect pairing of my phone with my car by BT and connect them again, that didn't help.

Unfortunately, this didn't help.

 

Poweramp continously pauses and resumes playback when is connected to Android Auto.

 

I have two times un-paired bluetooth connection between my car and my phone and paired them again.

I have rebooted car head unit by long-pressing power button.

Nothing helps.

 

Also have tried running another player, AIMP, it behaves similarly, also continuously pauses.

 

Software versions:

Android: 12

Android auto: 7.0.614134, 7.0.614154

Poweramp: build 911

 

My car plays music via USB, and uses Bluetooth for phone calls only. 

If I choose Bluetooth as media source in the settings of the car head unit, then Android Auto turns off completely, including maps and player.

If I open Bluetooth settings in my phone, go to the settings of the car BT device, I can see that car access to Audio is always turned off, even if I manually turn it on.

I think, Android Auto switches it off.

 

I am attaching two logs from Poweramp settings -> Headset/Bluetooth -> Recent commands.

One of them was collected several days ago with AA version 614134 and another one was collected just recently with the recent version of AA.

 

It would be good, if @maxmp could find a way to resolve this.

I am ready to collect more logs from my phone to help track down and fix this issue. It is very annoying.

aa-614154.log aa-614134.log

Edited December 5, 2021 by wl2
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