I did that too, and I did it a lot of times. I uninstalled and reinstalled all the Bluetooth packages (BlueZ, PipeWire, and WirePlumber). Then I started the Bluetooth service manually from the terminal and paired the device through bluetoothctl, cleared the cache in /var/lib/bluetooth, and re-paired from scratch on different distros.

Still no luck, 🤷‍♂️ it connects every time, but it never shows up as a headset.

You’re right. It’s especially confusing because the protocol itself is so generic.

I just tried this out to be sure: my Xiaomi earbuds connect instantly, the A2DP profile appears, and they work perfectly. So, my Linux setup (PipeWire, etc.) is clearly working fine.

The issue is definitely specific to the Sony WF-C510.

I’ve already tried all the standard multi-point troubleshooting (factory reset, phone’s Bluetooth off, pairing it as the only device) but it makes no difference.

As for the “Sound Connect App” that’s unfortunately the core of the problem. That app doesn’t exist for Linux. If the hardware relies on that app to set up or manage profiles, it creates an unavoidable roadblock for desktop Linux users.

It just seems to be a non-standard implementation from Sony that doesn’t play well with the standard Linux audio stack.