The Windows operating system is able to
recognize a pair of headphones or earphones as new output devices and
automatically forward the audio from the system (and apps) through them,
temporarily turning off the PC speakers.
On
some computers this step is not automatic or is not performed correctly,
leaving the user with headphones connected but with the audio output only from
the computer speakers (or worse with the audio output from both the headphones
and the speakers, with a really very annoying effect). The problem can
occur especially when using headphones or speakers connected via Bluetooth or
via WiFi connection.
Luckily
on Windows 10 and Windows 11 it is very simple to change the audio
output , so you can always select the right device to listen to the
audio emitted by the computer. In the accompanying aide we will tell you
exhaustively the best way to change sound result when we associate a couple of
earphones, headphones or speakers to the PC, utilizing both the link
associations (through 3.5mm Jack) and the Bluetooth association.
Change audio output via volume icon
To quickly change the audio output of our computer, press the
left mouse button on the Windows volume icon (bottom right), press on the
arrowhead icon and choose one of the devices in the list.
If we have connected headphones or earphones via a 3.5mm Jack
cable, select the specific item for the analog output of the PC ( Headphone
Output , Analog Output or AUX Output ). On
the off chance that we are utilizing Bluetooth earphones we press
straightforwardly on the Bluetooth name of the gadget, while assuming that we
are utilizing a computerized association (HDMI, Optical Sound Result or
DisplayPort) we push on Computerized Sound Result , Optical Sound Result or comparative
things.
Change audio output via Settings
Another effective method to change the audio output on Windows
involves opening the Start menu, pressing the Settings app and
finally taking us to the path System -> Audio .
We
press on the drop-down menu under the Output section and
select the headphones, earphones or audio output we wish to use for audio
playback, whatever the type of connection used (audio cable, Bluetooth or
digital cable).
If,
after connecting a device, we do not see its name appear in the list of outputs
on the Settings screen, press on the Manage audio devices item ,
press on the name of the audio output or deactivated device (in the Output
Devices section ) and finally press on the button Enable .
After enabling an audio output, we return to the previous
screen, open the drop-down menu in the Output section and choose the audio
output suitable for playing sound or multimedia content on the PC.
Change audio output via Control Panel
Although there are new ways to change audio output, the Control
Panel still allows you to change audio settings and, not to be underestimated,
to set what should be the default playback device .
To use this method, right-click on the volume icon at the bottom
right, click on the Sounds item and, in the window that
appears, go to the Playback tab.
To enable a specific audio device, right-click on it and select
Set as default device . If we want to use a headset as a
complete audio device for Skype, Zoom and other apps with audio and video, we
press the right button again on the headphones or earphones equipped with a
microphone and tick the Set as default communication device item .
What to do if audio switching doesn't work
On computers that are a few years old, it may happen that you
are unable to change the audio output, despite all the methods seen so far. If
we are unable to change the audio output we can try to restore the Windows
interface by right-clicking on the taskbar, opening the Task Manager menu,
pressing on More details (if we have not already done so
previously) and, in the Processes tab , identify the Windows
Explorer process , right-click on it and select the End Task item
.
The system interface will be closed and we will only be able to use Task
Manager ; to restart the interface, press File at
the top right , press Run new task , type explorer.exe and
press OK. The connection point ought to restart and the volume symbol
ought to work appropriately once more.
If the audio switcher still doesn't work we recommend that
you update your audio drivers , try
another playback device or, if you are using a Bluetooth playback device, update the Bluetooth driver .
Conclusions
Compared to the past, changing audio output on Windows is very
simple, given that Microsoft has decided to integrate a convenient list of
compatible devices directly into the volume icon. However, the methods
for changing audio output from the Settings menu and the Control
Panel remain valid , to be used in case of difficulty or if the
device is not started correctly.
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