Windows 10: Bluetooth Headset Low Quality Audio Output while using Voice Chat

I've been using my Bluetooth headset for a while now, as soon as I got it I had problems involving sound quality while I was in voice chat. I managed to fix it by disabling hands-free audio i think? and the output quality got better while the input got worse which I'm fine with. It was fine then but today when I logged in I noticed the problem had resurfaced, and when I looked into disabling hands-free audio I couldn't find it. Is there a fix for this?

:)

 

Can't hear other programs' sound when using Bluetooth headsets with voice chat applications on Windows 10

This happens on both my Windows 10 systems, a late 2012 iMac and a custom-built PC using an ASRock Z170 motherboard and an Insignia Bluetooth dongle.

When using either Discord or Mumble and either Apple AirPods or a Bose QuietComfort 35 headset, I cannot hear sound from any other application unless I set the output device to the "Hands-Free Device" instead of the "Stereo Headphones" device.

The problem with that is the "Hands-Free Device" has only one sound quality option, 8 KHz, which is nowhere near the 44.1 KHz default of the "Stereo Headphones" output device. When I select the "Stereo Headphones" device the sound is great, until I open either of the mentioned voice chat applications, whereupon I can't hear anything until I close that program. Also, my mic does not work unless I re-set the communications device or default device to the hands-free option. If I set the hands-free device as the communications device, everything in the voice chat app works, but no other program has any sound.

I believe this is because the "Hands-Free" and "Stereo Headphones" devices are two separate Bluetooth services, and the Hands-Free device is activated whenever the voice chat is engaged, and remains that way until the "call" is over. I realize the "Communications" tab in the sound control panel is supposed to fix this sort of thing, but it changes nothing in this scenario.

Any ideas?

EDIT: I've read the suggestions in this post, which I just discovered, and none of that works:

• Removing the Hands-Free Telephony service removes the mic.
  
• Changing the "Exclusive Mode" setting on any playback or recording device does not resolve the problem. Sometimes it does temporarily, then it reverts back to the problem described above within 5 minutes or so.
  
• Disabling audio enhancements does nothing.
  

 

Audio issue while using voice chat (Only using headphones)

Hi ChristianCangelli,

I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.

The issue is how Bluetooth headsets work when using the microphone (voice chat). These headsets have 2 modes, stereo mode and hands-free mode. When you are only listening audio and music, it is in stereo mode while good quality audio.

When the microphone is requested, it enters on the hands-free mode, which has a low quality audio, because it is made for calls (that don't need high quality audio).

You can disable the hands-free device on sound settings and use another microphone, but if you use the headset microphone you are stuck with this low quality audio.

 

bluetooth headset distorted sound

Hi NoWomanNoCry__,

I'm Rodrigo and I will help you.

On the Bluetooth headsets, the Hand-Free AG audio has a very low quality compared to the Stereo audio. So it is "normal" some distortions on this audio mode.

On the phone, hands-free audio is only used while on phone calls or voice chat, so it is harder to perceive the low quality audio.