Headphones keeps disconnecting

It's a super frustrating issue and the solution must be included into future updates.

Situation - headphones keeps disconnecting from Epix Gen 2 (had same situation when I was using Fenix 6 Pro before).

During last 12 months I kept changing my headphones because I thought it's a headphone issue. Since then I tested with:

  • Beats Powerbeats Pro (sold, can't test anymore)
  • Jabra 75t
  • Jabra Elite 7 Pro
  • Apple Airpods Pro (2nd gen)
  • Beats Fit Pro - bought just recently a month ago.

All of them working flawlessly with any phone and computer. ONLY they keep disconnecting when I connect them with my Watch. I tried (i think) everything:

  • connect headphones before activity start and only then start running
  • connect headphones during activity
  • disconnect phone, wait a bit, connect headphones before activity
  • disconnect phone, wait a bit, connect headphones during activity
  • connect only left in-ear bud
  • connect only right in-ear bud
  • connect only left in-ear bud and only when I was already running
  • ....

You name it. I tried everything. I can't understand how the *** this issue is not solved by now. BTW, all the time I use Spotify app and download Spotify playlists, so the music I'm trying to play is downloaded from Spotify.

I can enable ANY logging for developers. I am tech guy and would be able to install any non official release, be a beta tester, do whatever it takes but PLEASE solve this issue. Headphones just keeps disconnecting. Sometimes after 10 seconds, sometimes after 15 mins, sometimes after 1 min.. No repeatability. But they are disconnecting ONLY when I am doing outside workout with GPS on. If I'm not doing any activity simply listening to the music - it's working.

It's NOT headphones - that is for sure. I asked my friends if I could use their watches, so I used another Epix Gen 2 and Fenix 7 - same situation. So it's either a HUGE hardware issue (which I doubt because on that case my phone would disconnect as well, but no - it's connected all the time) or it's some sort of software bug.

My guesses (as an ex developer) would be these:

  • Whenever Garmin watch is trying to reach gps + glonass and some accuracy problems occur it tries to somehow restart connectivity services and because of that it disconnects headphones
  • If any of Garmin inner services fail - trying to keep only mandatory services so any additional like headphones simply disconnects
  • Garmin thinks that the headphone is too far away and decides to disconnect (because it tries to save battery - but on my devices battery saving is not enabled)
  • Garmin faces Bluetooth connectivity issues with headphones (maybe headphones changing which ear-bud is the primary one) and don't know how to act so it disconnects. Doubt about that because I wouldn't have any issues if I'm using only one in-ear-bud.

PLEASE, Garmin, reach me out here, directly or in any other way - I will do any testing you want me to do, I will install any debugging tools you want me to install, but let's solve this issue. Thanks

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention. I keep updating my watch firmware. My have beta enrolled. Current version is 13.22. If Garmin team wants, I could provide all the serial numbers for all my devices including this one.

P.S. Contacted support (8th June), chatted for a long time and registered it as a bug. Tried to add all the info about this issue so Garmin could really dig deep into it.