Bluetooth: sound output only from browser

[itarill]

I am trying to use my smsl sa-36a plus amplifier/bluetooth receiver as an audio sink with my pi zero W (running Raspbian Stretch). [Disclaimer: This is a duplicate question of one asked in the Media Center subforum, but that one does not seem to be too frequented by readers, unfortunately - 55 views, 0 reply in 2 days.]

My problem is the following:
-bluetooth is paired
-smsl is connected as audio device (in system tray this audio device is selected)
-sound DOES work from browser, but
-sound does NOT work from any other app (tested mpd, and to rule out misconfig I also tested qmmp).

Before rolling back to my "clean" OS backup, I tried messing around with pulse (which, if I am not mistaken is not necessary with stretch). pactl was not showing BT sink - I am not sure, though, how sound worked (works) from browser then?!

I am greatful for any help.

P.S. Sorry if it is a newb question, I am relatively new to linux...

[OutoftheBOTS]

There does seem to be a problem with using blue tooth sound with stretch OS. I am using the older Jessy and don't have any problem using blue tooth speakers as my sound output from Jessy but everyone trying to do the same thing with Stretch don't seem to get it to work

[vladnt]

Connected bluetooth headphones JBL. Sound from the browser and qmmp in headphones.
But there are hanging bluez, helps reboot pi)

[Jason_25]

If you are considering rolling back anyway you don't have anything to lose by uninstalling pulseaudio and seeing if that fixes it. If that does not it is probably a matter of specifying the correct default audio device or by choosing the bluetooth device within audio settings on a program-specific basis.

[itarill]

I did roll back to the backup without pulse audio - it did not work anyway. Can you give me a little more detailed hint what I should do?

[Jason_25]

Sure try this:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ad ... ive_method

You will know when your Bluetooth device is the default when you run "speaker-test" and sound plays from your Bluetooth device.

This is something you will have to get used to doing. Any time you have more than one audio device on a Linux system it must be configured manually this way. All the automatic audio stuff does not work and is arguably not even meant to work because no one person or group has enough control to make it work. The good news is once you know how to do this it does not seem so hard. (More) bad news is the syntax is so confusing you will probably have to look it up every time you do it even if you are "comfortable" with it.