Gear Iconx 2018 and HP Spectre X360

[mohar]

Hi. I really hope someone can help.

I just got the Gear Iconx 2018 today. They work absolutely fine with my Note 9. However, I'm having major problems with my laptop. I really need them to work with my laptop, otehrwise I'll have to return them 😞

I have an HP Spextre X360, with an Intel Ac-8265 wireless card. This has Bluetooth built in.

The Iconx connect to my laptop, however there are two major problems: 

1) when I change the volume on the earbuds, the volume on the laptop doesn't change;

2) sound is distorted and doesn't sync. It skips with audio and video files, both streaming and playing locally.

I was on the latest Bluetooth drivers (20.70). I've downgraded through all the ones  that are available, to the ones that came with the laptop (19.). It's still not working. 

I tried the earbuds on another HP laptop which has an AC-3165, and they work fine on that one. That laptop is using Bluetooth version 20.20. I tried that, too, and it's still not working.

Does anyone have any ideas? I've removed Bluetooth and reisntalled it, and reset the earbuds. No luck 😞

Thanks.

[mohar]

If anyone's interested, I've made some progress in my investigation.

The laptop on which the earbuds work fine is using Microsoft's Bluetooth drivers. Mines uses Intel's.

On my laptop, I can choose the sound to come through the Iconx as a hands-free device. This uses Microsoft's drivers, and the audio is fine and does not skip at all. However, this profile does not allow me to change volume.

The other thing I noticed was that the other laptop has an avrcp profile installed, but my laptop, the X360, does not install that for some reason.

The Investigation continues!