Bluetooth device connected but no sink

Support Audio
1

Hello,
I’m new on this forum as usually I succeed to find a solution on my own :wink:
But today (for a few weeks actually) I get really stuck!
I use a moodeaudio server (on a raspi5) to play music on my hifi system.
I can connect it with my laptop (Manjaro 26.0.4, Xfce)
but it doesn’t show up as a sound device in PulseAudio Mixer

here’s part of my config:

$ inxi -MSEA

System:
  Host: pijoluvio-mbp17 Kernel: 6.12.77-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.20.1 Distro: Manjaro Linux                                                                                                               
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Apple product: MacBookPro6,1 v: 1.0
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Apple model: Mac-F22589C8 serial: <superuser required>
    Firmware: UEFI vendor: Apple v: 99.0.0.0.0 date: 06/13/2019
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 5 Series/3400 Series High Definition Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel
  Device-2: NVIDIA GT216 HDMI Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  API: ALSA v: k6.12.77-1-MANJARO status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.6.2 status: active
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Apple Bluetooth Host Controller driver: btusb type: USB
  Report: btmgmt ID: hci0 state: up address: 34:15:9E:90:60:6A bt-v: 2.1

and here’s some reports about bluetooth and audio if that can help

$ bluetoothctl info 2C:CF:67:77:7A:66                                                                                      ✔ 

Device 2C:CF:67:77:7A:66 (public)
	Name: Raspi-musique Bluetooth
	Alias: Raspi-musique Bluetooth
	Class: 0x004c041c (4981788)
	Icon: audio-card
	Paired: yes
	Bonded: yes
	Trusted: yes
	Blocked: no
	Connected: yes
	LegacyPairing: no
	CablePairing: no
	UUID: Audio Source              (0000110a-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	UUID: Audio Sink                (0000110b-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	UUID: A/V Remote Control Target (0000110c-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	UUID: A/V Remote Control        (0000110e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	UUID: SIM Access                (0000112d-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	UUID: PnP Information           (00001200-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
	Modalias: usb:v1D6Bp0246d0552

$ pactl info cards

[...]
Card #146
	Name: bluez_card.2C_CF_67_77_7A_66
	Driver: module-bluez5-device.c
	Owner Module: n/a
	Properties:
		device.api = "bluez5"
		device.bus = "bluetooth"
		media.class = "Audio/Device"
		device.name = "bluez_card.2C_CF_67_77_7A_66"
		device.description = "Raspi-musique Bluetooth"
		device.alias = "Raspi-musique Bluetooth"
		device.form_factor = "portable"
		device.icon_name = "multimedia-player-bluetooth"
		device.string = "2C:CF:67:77:7A:66"
		api.bluez5.icon = "audio-card"
		api.bluez5.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_2C_CF_67_77_7A_66"
		api.bluez5.address = "2C:CF:67:77:7A:66"
		api.bluez5.device = ""
		api.bluez5.class = "0x4c041c"
		api.bluez5.connection = "connected"
		bluez5.profile = "off"
		spa.object.id = "4"
		factory.id = "15"
		client.id = "54"
		object.id = "74"
		object.serial = "146"
	Profiles:
		off: Éteint (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
		audio-gateway: Audio Gateway (A2DP Source & HSP/HFP AG) (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 256, available: yes)
	Active Profile: audio-gateway

here’s a list of pipewire related apps

$ pacman -Qs pipewire
 
local/gst-plugin-pipewire 1:1.6.2-1
    Multimedia graph framework - pipewire plugin
local/libpipewire 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - client library
local/libwireplumber 0.5.13-1
    Session / policy manager implementation for PipeWire - client library
local/manjaro-pipewire 20231009-1
    Manjaro meta package for complete PipeWire support.
local/pa-dlna 1.1-1
    Forwards audio to DLNA devices via PulseAudio or PipeWire (via 'python-libpulse')
local/pipewire 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor
local/pipewire-alsa 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - ALSA configuration
local/pipewire-audio 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - Audio support
local/pipewire-enable-bluez5 1.0-1
    Pacman hook to automatically enable Bluez5 support for Pipewire
local/pipewire-pulse 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - PulseAudio replacement
local/pipewire-session-manager 1:1.6.2-1
    Session manager for PipeWire (default provider)
local/pipewire-zeroconf 1:1.6.2-1
    Low-latency audio/video router and processor - Zeroconf support
local/python-libpulse 0.7-1
    Asyncio interface to the Pulseaudio and Pipewire pulse library
local/qpwgraph 0.9.9-1 (pro-audio)
    PipeWire Graph Qt GUI Interface
local/vlc-plugin-pipewire 3.0-1
    PipeWire audio plugins for VLC
local/wireplumber 0.5.13-1
    Session / policy manager implementation for PipeWire

I’d like to add that I can connect with no issue with my smartphone (Android 11) and macOS (10.15); so it seems to be Manjaro related…
(I also posted this question in the MoodeAudio forum)

thanks. Pierre

2

Hi @Pierre-2026 ,
Welcome to the forum, after reading your post I can say two things from your posts.
Please, read this post before installing anything, and check wich packages do you have installed in order to find the proper solution to your problem.

‘Suggestion: replace pipewire-media-session with wireplumber for manjaro-pipewire - #3 by anon59284200’

First,
‘PipeWire - ArchWiki’

PipeWire is a new low-level multimedia framework. It aims to offer capture and playback for both audio and video with minimal latency and support for PulseAudio, JACK, ALSA and GStreamer-based applications.

Second, from the same link:

WirePlumber is the recommended session manager. It is based on a modular design, with Lua plugins that implement the actual management functionality.

Hope it help, regards

3

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pa-dlna
Package Details: pa-dlna 1.1-1

Last Updated: 2025-09-26 10:05 (UTC)

Flagged out-of-date (2026-01-20)

xdegaye commented on 2026-01-22 09:18 (UTC)

pa-dlna version 1.2 has been released and supports now Python 3.14.

For latest version of this package build pa-dlna-git AUR

But pipewire-audio provides native support for a number of network audio protocols

PipeWire Wiki - Network - netjack2
PipeWire has a native Netjack2 manager and driver. It is compatible with netjack2 as found in JACK2.

A netjack2 manager listens on a multicast address for netjack2 drivers. It Sends and receives audio/midi from the remote netjack2 driver with a fixed latency, that is a multiple of the buffer-size.

A netjack2 driver acts like a driver in the JACK/PipeWire graph and is driven by a remote netjack2 manager. This makes the driver follow the rate of the manager it is scheduled by.

PipeWire Wiki - Network - VBAN
The VBAN protocol is a simple UDP based protocol for sending audio and midi. It can be used to interoperate with Windows and MAC applications.

More information can be found in the module-vban-send and module-vban-recv documentation.

It is also possible to install standalone JACK tools for network audio:

2 Likes
4

thanks @j8a, i will have a look at the suggestions.
maybe the wirePlumber thing is to be explored but I think it’s already installed…

@nikgnomic, I don’t really understand your point. Bluetooth here is not used as a network endpoint. And I’d prefer to find a solution using the pipeWire infrastructure.
Thank you anyway

5

Data in original post shows 2 AUR packages installed to share audio on local network:
pa-dlna and dependency package python-libpulse

Data also shows AUR package pipewire-enable-bluez5 installed
Package was first submitted to AUR on 20 Mar 2021 and has not been updated since

I suggest:

  1. Remove all 3 AUR packages so system uses PipeWire packages from official repositories only

  2. Clear BlueZ cache by deleting all files and directories in /var/lib/bluetooth/

    sudo rm -r /var/lib/bluetooth/*

  3. Reboot system and pair the device again

PipeWire Wiki - Troubleshooting - Bluetooth - Missing Bluetooth Profiles / Volume Control / etc.

2 Likes
7

Okay, I understand your previous post
These were old unecessary tries that I forget to suppress…
I removed the 3 AUR packages; my system is cleaner but that doesn’t solve my issue :frowning:

I’ll read the pipewire gitlab page

thanks

No success either here with wireplumber
I still can connect but no usable audio profile

thanks for trying :wink:

1 Like
8

Exactly how can you connect to it with your laptop? Via web browser, or CLI, or something else?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have a RPi5 running Moodeaudio, but you’re looking for it’s sound device in PulseAudio mixer on a different machine running Manjaro? I can’t find any documentation that says this is possible. What you can do is connect to it via a web browser to control it.

9

Hi @bananamangodog and thanks for your help.

I’m trying (and succeeded) to connect to the RPi bluetooth. Via the toolbar applet (XFCE) and CLI bluetoothctl. but it shows no sink

Yes it’s a moode install on the RPi; BTW it works like a charm as a media player (for me :wink: )
The only thing I can’t do is send audio to RPi via BT from my manjaro install (see the end of my first post: I can do it on my phone and my old mac)
And I’ve got no problem to reach the RPi via web browser or SSH

10

I’m out of ideas I’m afraid. But reading your post on the Moodeaudio forum someone else seems to have it working so it is possible.

I guess one final idea would be to boot from a Manjaro live usb and try to connect and play audio from there. That at least rules in or out your current configuration on Manjaro.

1 Like
11

Data from the working Linux Mint system has 2 main differences to this system.

  1. Linux Mint system is using PipeWire 1.0.5 (released 15 April 2024) but Manjaro stable branch system has PipeWire 1.6.2 (released 16 March 2026)

  2. Linux Mint system has four A2DP-sink profiles for audio playback:

    Profiles:
        a2dp-sink-sbc: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink, codec SBC) (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 18, available: yes)
        a2dp-sink-sbc_xq: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink, codec SBC-XQ) (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 17, available: yes)
        a2dp-sink-aptx: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink, codec aptX) (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 19, available: yes)
        a2dp-sink: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink, codec aptX HD) (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 20, available: yes)

wheras Manjaro system has one profile with no sink for audio playback (sinks: 0)

    Profiles:
        audio-gateway: Audio Gateway (A2DP Source & HSP/HFP AG) (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 256, available: yes)`
13

Thanks for the idea but no success :frowning:
still digging…

That sems to be one important information!
But I really don’t know how to revert to such an old version :grimacing:
I’m working on it now

thanks

14

Comment was to show how tardy Linux Mint is compared to Manjaro

Simplest way to check if Bluetooth sinks are available on Linux Mint would be to boot from a live ISO

No Bluetooth sink available for audio playback in pipewire-pulse might be a mis-configuration in Moodeaudio OS, or no audio sink available for playback on the Raspberry Pi

Maybe also try using Volumio OS on the Raspberry Pi,
there might be better support for audio issues on Volumio forum

Or try this to run a PipeWire server on Rasberry Pi OS:
Turn your Linux box into a Bluetooth audio endpoint quick guide.md · GitHub

17

Hello everybody,
the problem is quite solved and the simple solution was to wait for an update in Manjaro!
I can now connect to my moode player via bluetooth!

have a nice day. Pierre