Windows-side issue with Bluetooth audio.

Question

Hey Microsoft community,

My Acer Nitro series laptop has Bluetooth audio distortion during heavy 5GHz Wi-Fi downloads or media streaming. This happens only on Windows 10 but on Linux (Zorin) there are zero issues at the same speeds. The Wi-Fi/BT chip is Qualcomm QCA61x4A, so I assume a Windows Wi-Fi–Bluetooth coexistence/driver issue, not hardware.

Problem: Stutter during 5GHz downloads or streaming on Windows. Zero distortion on Linux.

Tried fixes:

1. netsh wlan set autoconfig enabled=no interface="Wi-Fi" (stops background scanning)
2. Disabled Hands-Free Telephony in Devices & Printers
3. Adapter settings: Preferred Band = 5GHz only
4. MIMO Power Save = Disabled
5. Power settings = Maximum Performance, fixed router channel
6. Registry tweaks for BT–WiFi coexistence:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318} → added strings btCoexScanBackoff=1, bBluetoothCoex=1
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bthserv\Parameters → added DWORD ChannelAvoidanceRange=5

Note: The “Bluetooth Collaboration” setting often suggested online isn’t present on this Wi-Fi/BT Properties., so that fix doesn’t apply.

Still: Audio stutters when 5GHz Wi-Fi load is high.
Looking for a driver-level fix or recommended Windows-side solution.

Answer 1

Hello Rakib Rijvee, thanks for posting this in the community.

You’ve already covered the usual troubleshooting steps, and the fact that everything works perfectly on Linux makes it very likely that the issue is related to Windows‑side Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth coexistence behavior. The QCA61x4A chipset is known for weaker coexistence logic on Windows, which can cause audio distortion during heavy 5 GHz activity.

Acer does not frequently publish updated drivers for this hardware, but Qualcomm has released newer Windows driver revisions that improve coexistence performance. These driver versions do not always appear on OEM support pages, but they are available through the Microsoft Update Catalog.

To move forward, download the updated drivers from the Microsoft Update Catalog by searching for QCA61x4A or the QCA9377/QCA6174 family. These versions are WHQL‑signed and typically newer than the OEM-provided ones. After downloading, remove the currently installed drivers by going to Device Manager, opening Network adapters, selecting the Qualcomm QCA61x4A device, choosing Uninstall device, and enabling the option to delete the driver software. Once removed, install the newer CAB package you downloaded.

Kind regards,

John Oli