Lena Torres
There are several reasons why sound may be playing through speakers instead of a headset. It could be due to incorrect settings, outdated or corrupted drivers, or hardware issues. To resolve this, users can try a variety of methods, including checking and updating audio settings, installing or reinstalling drivers, and ensuring that connections are secure and plugged into the correct jacks. In some cases, restarting the computer or plugging in the headset during startup may also help.
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What You'll Learn
Check connections for loose cords or cables
If you're experiencing issues with your audio, it's a good idea to check your speaker and headphone connections for loose cords or cables. This is a simple step, but it's important as cables can become loose over time.
To do this, first ensure that your cables are securely plugged into the correct input and output jacks. Check that all cords and cables are plugged into the correct jack. If you have multiple 5mm jacks to plug into, especially on a surround sound system, make sure all cables are plugged into the right place. If it's not clear which jack goes with which cord, consult your hardware manufacturer or try the most obvious outputs one at a time and see if they work. Some systems use a green jack for output and a pink jack for mic input, while others will be labelled "headphone" or "microphone".
If you're still having issues, try connecting your speaker and headphones to a different USB port. It's possible that your speakers won't work when your headphones are plugged in. Unplug your headphones and see if that helps.
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Ensure the correct audio output is selected
To ensure the correct audio output is selected, follow these steps:
First, check your connections. Make sure all cords and cables are plugged in securely and correctly. If you have multiple jacks to plug into, especially on a surround sound system, ensure that all connections are plugged into the appropriate jacks. Some systems use colour-coded jacks, such as green for output and pink for mic input, while others may be labelled as "headphone" or "microphone."
Next, right-click on the speaker or sound icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen (usually in the system tray). Select "Open Sound Settings." Under "Output," you should see a dropdown menu. Click on it and check if your desired output device is listed. If it is, select it. If not, your device may not be recognised by your system.
In the Sound Settings window, scroll down and click on "Manage Sound Devices." Under "Output Devices," look for your desired output device. If it is listed, make sure it is not disabled. If it is disabled, click on it and select "Enable."
If your desired output device is not listed, right-click on the Start button and select "Device Manager." Expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" section. Right-click on your audio device and select "Update Driver." Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and follow the prompts.
Additionally, you can try deactivating all audio enhancements. On the Enhancements tab, select either "Disable all enhancements" or "Disable all sound effects." Then, try playing audio again.
If you are using a USB-connected audio output system, such as certain speaker systems or headphones, ensure that the device driver for that audio system is installed in your Windows setup. Open the Device Manager and look for the USB-connected audio output system. Make sure a driver is installed and that there are no warning indicators. Once confirmed, go into the Windows audio configuration screen and choose that USB-connected system as your Default Sound Playback device.
Finally, some issues may be resolved by restarting your computer and quickly plugging in your headphones as soon as the computer restarts.
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Check for disabled devices
If you're experiencing issues with audio output through your speakers or headphones, it's a good idea to check if any of your audio devices have been disabled. Here are some steps you can take to check for disabled devices and troubleshoot audio issues:
- Check your connections: Ensure that all cords and cables are securely plugged into the correct jacks. Some systems use colour-coded jacks, such as green for output and pink for microphone input, while others may be labelled.
- Verify device settings:
- On Windows, right-click on the speaker or sound icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (system tray). Select "Open Sound Settings".
- Under "Output", click on the dropdown menu and check if your desired output device is selected. If not, select it.
- In the Sound Settings window, scroll down and click on "Manage Sound Devices". Under "Output Devices", ensure that your desired device is not disabled. If it is, click on it and select "Enable".
Check device properties:
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Advanced, select More Sound Settings and choose either the Playback (output) or Recording (input) tab.
- Select your device and then select Properties.
- Next to Device Usage, ensure that "Use this device (enable)" is selected for the output and input devices.
Update audio drivers:
- Right-click on the Start button and select "Device Manager".
- Expand the "Sound, video and game controllers" section.
- Right-click on your audio device and select "Update driver".
- Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and follow the prompts to install any available updates.
Disable audio enhancements:
- In the search box on the taskbar, type "Control Panel" and select it.
- Navigate to Hardware and Sound, then select Sound.
- On the Playback tab, right-click on the Default Device and select Properties.
- On the Enhancements tab, select "Disable all enhancements" or "Disable all sound effects".
Run the audio troubleshooter:
- Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security.
- From the left-hand menu, select Troubleshoot.
- Under Find and Fix problems, click on Playing Audio and then select the Run the troubleshooter button.
Check for disabled devices:
- In the Sound settings (as mentioned in step 2), click on the "Playback" tab.
- Right-click in the window and select "Show Disabled Devices".
- If your headphones or speakers appear with a down arrow or a disabled symbol, right-click on them and select "Enable Device".
Remember to check your volume levels and ensure that none of your devices are muted. Additionally, if you're using external audio devices such as headphones or speakers connected via USB or HDMI, you may need to set them as the default audio device.
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Update audio drivers
Updating your audio drivers can help resolve sound issues on your device. Here is a guide on how to update your audio drivers on Windows and macOS.
Windows
- Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting Device Manager. Alternatively, press the Windows key + X and select "Device Manager" from the menu.
- In the Device Manager window, locate and expand the "Sound, video, and game controllers" category by clicking on the arrow next to it.
- Right-click on your sound device (it may be labelled as "Realtek High Definition Audio", "Conexant SmartAudio", or something similar). If you are unsure, you can select "Properties" to check the details.
- Select "Update Driver".
- Choose “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the prompts to install any available updates. If Windows does not find any updates, you can manually download the drivers from the device manufacturer's website and select "Browse my computer for drivers" in the Update Driver Software window.
- After updating, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
MacOS
- Download and install the latest audio drivers from the manufacturer's website.
- If third-party drivers are not compatible, and compatible drivers are not available from the manufacturer, you may need to use the standard macOS audio drivers.
- Open the Audio MIDI Setup app on your Mac.
- In the Audio Devices window, select your Mac's speakers from the list of audio devices.
- At the bottom of the sidebar, click on the "Configure Selected Device" pop-up menu and choose "Use This Device for Sound Output".
- Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and choose "About This Mac".
- Click on the "Software Update" button to check for updates.
- If an update for macOS is available, click "Update" to install the latest version.
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Deactivate audio enhancements
Audio enhancement packages are designed to enhance your specific audio hardware performance and quality. However, sometimes these enhancements can cause problems with audio and sound. If you are facing such issues, you can try disabling audio enhancements to see if it solves the problem.
- Open Settings (Win+I).
- Click/tap on System on the left side, and click/tap on Sound on the right side.
- Click/tap on an output or input sound device for which you want to disable audio enhancements.
- Click on the 'Enhancements' tab. Depending on your manufacturer, the setting to disable audio enhancements will either be on the Enhancements tab or the Advanced tab.
- Select either the 'Disable all enhancements' or the 'Disable all sound effects' check box (depending on which option you see), and then select OK. If you don't see the setting on the Enhancements tab, select the Advanced tab and look for the setting, 'Enable audio enhancements'. If the manufacturer has located the setting here, uncheck the box to disable audio enhancements.
- Now try to play your audio device. If it works, great! If not, select Cancel to go back to the Sound Properties box.
- On the Playback tab, select another default device (if you have one), select the 'Disable all enhancements' check box, and try to play audio again. Do this for each default device until you find one that works.
Remember, you can always re-enable any enhancements if you feel the sound quality is not up to your preference. The enhancements enabled under the “Enhancements” tab are artificial software enhancements. If you prefer enhanced sound, you should select those included with your sound card software, as they provide more settings to adjust the sound quality.
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Frequently asked questions
If you're using a Mac, go to System Settings and click Sound in the sidebar. Click Output, and make sure your Mac speakers are selected in the output device list. If you're using a Windows device, right-click on the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen and select Open Sound Settings. Under Output, click on the dropdown menu and select your speakers.
Check that your speakers are plugged into the audio output port and, if necessary, into a power supply. Ensure that the output volume is not set to the lowest level and that the mute checkbox is not selected.
It's possible that your Mac is stuck in headphone mode. This can happen if the internal switch inside the headphone jack is stuck due to dust or a broken-off plug. Try using a toothpick or isopropyl alcohol to clean the headphone jack.
Yes, it is possible to use both simultaneously. On Windows, right-click on the sound icon and choose "Recording Devices". Then, select your USB headset for the A1 hardware output and your speakers for the A2 hardware output. Finally, select both A1 and A2 on the Voicemeeter VAIO output.
On Windows, go to Control Panel > Sound and choose your speakers as the default device. On a Mac, open System Settings, click on Sound in the sidebar, click on the Output tab, and select your built-in speakers.
