Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Start with:

eara doctor
eara --json status

Device is not found

• Pair it in the desktop Bluetooth settings first.
• Take both earbuds out of the case.
• Confirm that the Bluetooth adapter is powered.
• If the earbuds are connected to a phone, temporarily disable Bluetooth on the phone.

Protocol: no or “Earbuds asleep or out of range”

The audio and control connections are separate. A2DP audio can work while the RFCOMM control channel is unavailable.

1. Take both earbuds out of the case.
2. Wait a few seconds and press Refresh.
3. Disconnect the phone or other host.
4. Press Connect again; use Reset only if a normal reconnect fails.

EarA discovers the control channel from SDP. Most models use channel 15; CMF Buds 2 commonly uses channel 16.

No music output or Bluetooth card

Dual connection can let a phone take the A2DP slot. Disconnect the phone, reconnect on Linux, and run:

eara audio music
pactl list short cards
pactl list short sinks

Bluetooth adapter appears stuck

sudo systemctl restart bluetooth
systemctl --user restart pipewire-pulse
bluetoothctl power on
eara connect

On a PulseAudio-only desktop, replace the second command with:

systemctl --user restart pulseaudio

RFCOMM permission denied

sudo usermod -aG bluetooth "$USER"

Log out and back in before trying again.

Microphone lowers playback quality

This is a Bluetooth profile limitation. eara audio hfp enables the earbud microphone and switches to headset-quality audio. Use eara audio music to return to A2DP stereo, and select a laptop or USB microphone for calls when possible.

A control is visible but ignored

Support varies by model and firmware. Capture eara --json status, note the exact action that fails, and open a Device support issue.

Before posting logs, redact full Bluetooth addresses and unnecessary serial-number characters.