Play audio on two Bluetooth headphones with PipeWire

2026-09-26T00:00:00+00:00

pasystray</code> can choose an output for an application, but it cannot itself duplicate audio to two outputs. On a PipeWire system, create a virtual combined sink that forwards its audio to both Bluetooth headphones, then select that sink in pasystray.</p> </span>

This is useful for listening with two pairs of headphones from one computer. Both devices must be connected at the same time.</p>

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Find the Bluetooth sink names</h2>
Run:</p>
pactl list short sinks
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For example, this system has these two Bluetooth sinks:</p>
88   bluez_output.40:58:99:55:FD:82   PipeWire   float32le 2ch 48000Hz   SUSPENDED
119  bluez_output.7C:E9:13:59:03:80   PipeWire   float32le 2ch 48000Hz   SUSPENDED
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SUSPENDED</code> is normal when a device is connected but not currently playing audio. The important values are the two bluez_output...</code> names, not the numeric IDs at the beginning of the lines.</p>
To confirm that PipeWire is providing the PulseAudio-compatible server, run:</p>
pactl info | grep "Server Name"
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It should report PipeWire.</p>
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Create the combined sink</h2>
Use the sink names from the previous command:</p>
pactl load-module module-combine-sink \
  sink_name=dual_bluetooth \
  sink_properties=device.description=Dual_Bluetooth \
  sinks=bluez_output.40:58:99:55:FD:82,bluez_output.7C:E9:13:59:03:80
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PipeWire should print a module ID. Check that the new virtual output exists:</p>
pactl list short sinks
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It should include dual_bluetooth</code>.</p>
In pasystray, choose Dual_Bluetooth</strong> from the default-sink menu, or route an individual application’s stream to it. To make it the default output from a terminal:</p>
pactl set-default-sink dual_bluetooth
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New applications will then send audio to both headphones. Existing applications may need to be moved to dual_bluetooth</code> in pasystray or restarted.</p>
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Make it persistent</h2>
The pactl load-module</code> command only lasts until PipeWire is restarted. To load the virtual sink whenever pipewire-pulse</code> starts, create this user configuration file:</p>
~/.config/pipewire/pipewire-pulse.conf.d/dual-bluetooth.conf
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with these contents:</p>
pulse.cmd = [
    { cmd = "load-module"
      args = "module-combine-sink sink_name=dual_bluetooth sink_properties=device.description=Dual_Bluetooth sinks=bluez_output.40:58:99:55:FD:82,bluez_output.7C:E9:13:59:03:80"
      flags = [ ]
    }
]
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Restart the user PulseAudio-compatibility service after creating the file:</p>
systemctl --user restart pipewire-pulse
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Connect both headphones, then verify the combined sink again with:</p>
pactl list short sinks
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The Bluetooth sink names normally contain the headphones’ MAC addresses, so they remain the same across reconnects. If a device is removed and paired again, check its name and update the configuration if its MAC address changed.</p>
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Remove the temporary sink</h2>
For a sink created only with pactl load-module</code>, find its module ID:</p>
pactl list short modules | grep combine
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Then unload it:</p>
pactl unload-module <module-id>
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For the persistent version, remove or disable the dual-bluetooth.conf</code> drop-in and restart pipewire-pulse</code>.</p>
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Bluetooth synchronization caveat</h2>
This duplicates the audio; it does not make two Bluetooth devices perfectly synchronized. Each headset has its own codec latency, buffer, and clock. The sound can therefore have a small offset or gradually drift between the headphones, which is especially noticeable when both listeners are close together.</p>
PipeWire’s documented module-combine-sink</code> is the appropriate module for this setup. It is generally fine for two people listening separately, but it is not a replacement for purpose-built synchronized multi-headphone hardware.</p>
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References</h2>

PipeWire PulseAudio modules: loading modules and persistent drop-ins</a></li>
PipeWire module-combine-sink</code> options</a></li>
</ul>

Segfault diaries - audio

Play audio on two Bluetooth headphones with PipeWire

`</span></a> References</h2> PipeWire PulseAudio modules: loading modules and persistent drop-ins</a></li> PipeWire module-combine-sink</code> options</a></li> </ul>`