JBL Go Speaker Sounds terrible!

[Sparky]

Hi everyone. I've installed my little BluetoothJBL GO and it sounds horrible. My BT headphones sounds perfect though. I've tried the older version MX KDE tricks with Pulse Audio etc.... but nothing fixes it. It sounds like there is no Bass and that it's not stereo sound. Also I can barely hear it, at maximum volume. On Windows, the speaker sounds perfect. I've tried sound select, KDE sound settings...etc... BTW, I can't choose not to have the codec installed being used, kind of restrictive I can't use the old default.
Thanks.

SYSInfo

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System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-21-amd64 [6.1.90-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-21-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
    init=/lib/systemd/systemd
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.5 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7 dm: SDDM Distro: MX-23.3_KDE_x64 Libretto May
    19 2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: SiYW model: S200 Series serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends v: 5.12 date: 12/26/2018
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech Marathon Mouse/Performance Plus M705 serial: <filter>
    charge: 55% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-8750H bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Coffee Lake gen: core 8 level: v3
    note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 0xA (10)
    microcode: 0xF4
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 tpc: 2 threads: 12 smt: enabled cache: L1: 384 KiB
    desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 1.5 MiB desc: 6x256 KiB L3: 9 MiB desc: 1x9 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/4100 scaling: driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave
    cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 9: 800 10: 800 11: 800 12: 800
    bogomips: 52799
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS; IBPB: conditional; STIBP: conditional; RSB filling;
    PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CoffeeLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics 630] driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5
    process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: HDMI-A-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, HDMI-A-2, HDMI-A-3
    bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3e9b class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.9 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 2560x1440 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 677x381mm (26.65x15.00") s-diag: 777mm (30.58")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-A-1 mapped: HDMI-1 model: AOC Q3279WG5B serial: <filter> built: 2019
    res: 2560x1440 hz: 60 dpi: 90 gamma: 1.2 size: 725x428mm (28.54x16.85") diag: 842mm (33.1")
    ratio: 15:9 modes: max: 2560x1440 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel CM238 HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:a171
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-21-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: e000 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel Wireless 3165 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl pcie: gen: 1
    speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 8086:3165 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-1: surfshark_ipv6 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: <filter>
  IF-ID-2: surfshark_wg state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: N/A
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-7:5
    chip-ID: 8087:0a2a class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.1 lmp-v: 4.2
    sub-v: 1000 hci-v: 4.2 rev: 1000
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:5 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff
    link-mode: peripheral accept service-classes: rendering, capturing, object transfer, audio,
    telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 471.36 GiB used: 22.65 GiB (4.8%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 970 EVO Plus 250GB
    size: 232.89 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD
    serial: <filter> rev: 2B2QEXM7 temp: 52.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: A-Data model: SP900 size: 238.47 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 7b scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 232.63 GiB size: 227.92 GiB (97.97%) used: 22.65 GiB (9.9%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 256 MiB size: 252 MiB (98.46%) used: 274 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 4 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 51.0 C pch: 55.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: 2621 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2611 libs: 1411 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala pm: rpm pkgs: 0
    pm: flatpak pkgs: 10
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/mx/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb http://ftp.cc.uoc.gr/mirrors/linux/mx/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/surfshark.list
    1: deb https://ocean.surfshark.com/debian stretch main
Info:
  Processes: 283 Uptime: 17h 48m wakeups: 66 Memory: 15.52 GiB used: 5.61 GiB (36.1%) Init: systemd
  v: 252 target: graphical (5) default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

[CharlesV]

When I had my JBL speaker it required that the volume to it be pretty high in order to have good sound. ( Two volume controls - the computer which needed to be up pretty high, and then the JBL volume control which was used for the actual volume.)

My current surround system is also this way - the sub woofers dont even kick in until there is sufficient volume. ( again - computer volume, and then control the volume with the speaker system's volume control. )

If your having trouble with the sound quality.. that is where I would start - get the computer to get that speaker high volume and I bet it resolves it.

Now.. having said that.. you MAY be able to tweak the volume on the computer using the volume mixer, and using the Output and playback tabs (both need to be used.)

And on my systems the only place I received a GOOD sounding system was when I moved to liquorix and into the 6.2 kernel range.

I know I pick on the 6.1.0 kernel a a lot. And while it is a good kernel now (And an LTS kernel too), it had some quirks, 6.2 had much better hardware support, and 6.4 for me was the start of REALLY good. And I moved to liquorix kernels because they added another level of hardware support, AND the biggie - they are setup for desktop use. ( less lag, high performance for desktop, etc )

SO.. I would suggest trying out a 6.5 or 6.6 liquorix kernel and seeing if that makes a difference. I bet it will. (And may resolve this quickly too.)

[ForkTheWire]

@Sparky I run Xfce so I don't know how this info will be displayed on your desktop, but here are two screenshots of how I have things set up. I use quite an old v2.1 bluetooth dongle and a JBL GO Gen 1, It sounds pretty clear and I can't tell a difference from when I connect it to my phone.
Once it's connected make sure to check the bluetooth profile setting:

Bluetooth Speaker Profile.png

I then manually switch my audio output from my audio interface to the speaker from the panel(image below) or from the "PulseAudio Volume Control" app setting the desired device as fallback.

Bluetooth Speaker Selection.png

Also it has its' own volume control, and should not be affected by your default sound card volume.
I hope this helps!

Edit: I had another quick readthrough and noticed you said you can't change the codec. Through the bluetooth manager app remove the device so that it "forgets" it and then pair it again, and after try the above. ( I had that issue once from the sound of it when I was experimenting with the settings, I think it's a bug)

[h3kt0r]

Into the "Volume Control", goto [Configuration] tab.
You should be able to pick a profile that sounds louder,
either "Analog Stereo" or"Digital Stereo" output.