Bluetooth Speaker paired and connected but no sound
I have a Raspberry pi 3B running a fresh install of Debian Bookworm. I
installed bluez-alsa-utils and mplayer packages using apt. Using
bluetoothctl, I paired, trusted and connected to my Bluetooth speaker
(actually an Amazon Echo Plus) successfully:
root@raspberrypi:~# bluetoothctl
Agent registered
[CHG] Controller B8:27:EB:1B:DC:41 Pairable: yes
AdvertisementMonitor path registered
[bluetooth]# devices
Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A Echo Plus-0LN
[bluetooth]# connect 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A
Attempting to connect to 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A
[CHG] Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A Connected: yes
[NEW] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep2
[NEW] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep1
[NEW] Transport /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep2/fd0
Connection successful
[DEL] Transport /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep2/fd0
[DEL] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep2
[DEL] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep1
[CHG] Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A ServicesResolved: yes
[CHG] Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A ServicesResolved: no
[CHG] Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A Connected: no
[CHG] Device 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A Connected: yes
[NEW] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep2
[NEW] Endpoint /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/sep1
[NEW] Transport /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/fd1
[CHG] Transport /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/fd1 State: pending
[CHG] Transport /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/fd1 State: active
[NEW] Player /org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/player0 [default]
When I connect, the Echo should say "Now playing from raspberrpi": (I had
this working OK on this pi on a previous version of Bookworm - I had tried
to update to Trixie - but this failed because I had mis-configured
/etc/apt/sources.list - and corrupted the apt system. So re-flashed the SD
card. So I know it should work.)
However, there is no sound and in fact it prevents any sound from the Echo
in its normal use.
I suspect it's connecting, not as a playback device, but maybe as something
else. For example if I try to list the playback devices using aplay, when
it is connected, its not listed:
root@raspberrypi:~# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones], device 0: bcm2835 Headphones
[bcm2835 Headphones]
Subdevices: 7/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 1: vc4hdmi [vc4-hdmi], device 0: MAI PCM i2s-hifi-0 [MAI PCM
i2s-hifi-0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
If it's of any help, I list the versions:
root@raspberrypi:~# uname -a
Linux raspberrypi 6.12.43-v8+ #1901 SMP PREEMPT Tue Aug 26 16:51:52 BST 2025
aarch64 GNU/Linux
R
root@raspberrypi:~# dpkg -l | grep bluez*
ii bluez 66-1+deb12u2
arm64 Bluetooth tools and daemons
ii bluez-alsa-utils 4.0.0-2
arm64 Bluetooth Audio ALSA Backend (utils)
ii bluez-firmware 1.2-9
all Firmware for Bluetooth devices
ii libasound2-plugin-bluez:arm64 4.0.0-2 arm64
Bluetooth Audio ALSA Backend (plugins)
ii libbluetooth3:arm64 5.66-1+deb12u2 arm64
Library to use the BlueZ Linux Bluetooth stack
ii pi-bluetooth 0.1.19
all Raspberry Pi 3 bluetooth
root@raspberrypi:~# dpkg -l | grep mplayer
ii mplayer 2:1.5+svn38408-1
arm64 movie player for Unix-like systems
Services are running:
root@raspberrypi:~# systemctl status blue*
● bluetooth.service - Bluetooth service
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service; enabled; preset:
enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-08-29 12:23:33 BST; 5h 50min
ago
Docs: man:bluetoothd(8)
Main PID: 536 (bluetoothd)
Status: "Running"
Tasks: 1 (limit: 714)
CPU: 306ms
CGroup: /system.slice/bluetooth.service
└─536 /usr/libexec/bluetooth/bluetoothd
Aug 29 12:23:38 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Path / reserved for Adv Monitor
app :1.11
Aug 29 12:23:38 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Adv Monitor app :1.11
disconnected from D-Bus
Aug 29 12:23:38 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Path / reserved for Adv Monitor
app :1.12
Aug 29 12:23:38 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Adv Monitor app :1.12
disconnected from D-Bus
Aug 29 17:10:09 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Path / reserved for Adv Monitor
app :1.17
Aug 29 17:10:30 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Endpoint registered: sender=:1.
8 path=/org/bluez/hci0/A2DP/SBC/source/3
Aug 29 17:10:30 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]:
src/service.c:btd_service_connect() a2dp-source profile connect failed for
08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A: Device or resource busy
Aug 29 17:10:38 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Endpoint registered: sender=:1.
8 path=/org/bluez/hci0/A2DP/SBC/sink/3
Aug 29 17:10:39 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]:
/org/bluez/hci0/dev_08_A6_BC_44_7C_0A/fd1: fd(28) ready
Aug 29 17:10:43 raspberrypi bluetoothd[536]: Adv Monitor app :1.17
disconnected from D-Bus
● bluetooth.target - Bluetooth Support
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.target; static)
Active: active since Fri 2025-08-29 12:23:34 BST; 5h 50min ago
Docs: man:systemd.special(7)
Aug 29 12:23:34 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Reached target bluetooth.target -
Bluetooth Support.
● bluealsa.service - BlueALSA service
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluealsa.service; enabled; preset:
enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-08-29 12:23:34 BST; 5h 50min
ago
Docs: man:bluealsa(8)
Main PID: 558 (bluealsa)
Tasks: 4 (limit: 714)
CPU: 1min 12.347s
CGroup: /system.slice/bluealsa.service
└─558 /usr/bin/bluealsa -p a2dp-source -p a2dp-sink
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
ba-transport.c:1456: Closing PCM: 16
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
ba-transport.c:603: Releasing A2DP transport: 15
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: E:
ba-transport.c:642: Couldn't release transport: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.
DBus.Error.UnknownObject: Method "Release" with signature "" on interface>
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
ba-transport.c:885: Freeing transport: A2DP Sink (SBC)
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
ba-transport.c:447: PCM clients check keep-alive: 0 ms
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
ba-device.c:135: Freeing device: 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
bluez.c:1156: Signal: org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager.InterfacesRemoved()
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
bluez.c:1156: Signal: org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager.InterfacesRemoved()
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
bluez.c:1156: Signal: org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager.InterfacesRemoved()
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa[558]: /usr/bin/bluealsa: D:
bluez.c:1156: Signal: org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager.InterfacesRemoved()
● bluealsa-aplay.service - BlueALSA player service
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/bluealsa-aplay.service; enabled;
preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-08-29 12:23:32 BST; 5h 50min
ago
Docs: man:bluealsa-aplay(1)
Main PID: 465 (bluealsa-aplay)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 714)
CPU: 58.922s
CGroup: /system.slice/bluealsa-aplay.service
└─465 /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay
Aug 29 12:23:32 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Started bluealsa-aplay.service -
BlueALSA player service.
Aug 29 12:23:33 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: W:
aplay.c:1008: Couldn't get BlueALSA PCM list: The name org.bluealsa was not
provided by any .service files
Aug 29 12:23:33 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: D:
aplay.c:1018: Starting main loop
Aug 29 17:10:38 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: D:
aplay.c:690: Creating PCM worker 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A
Aug 29 17:10:38 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: D:
aplay.c:469: Starting PCM loop
Aug 29 17:10:39 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: W:
aplay.c:557: Couldn't open mixer: Mixer element not found
Aug 29 17:47:20 raspberrypi bluealsa-aplay[465]: /usr/bin/bluealsa-aplay: D:
aplay.c:422: Exiting PCM worker 08:A6:BC:44:7C:0A
root@raspberrypi:~#
What's the significance of the errors above?:
aplay.c:1008: Couldn't get BlueALSA PCM list: The name org.bluealsa was not
provided by any .service files
aplay.c:557: Couldn't open mixer: Mixer element not found
Any clues as to troubleshoot this issue will be welcome.
TIA,
spindles7
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