Windows 10: Sony WH-1000XM5 Input/Output Issues

I have a pair of WH-1000XM5 headphones that I am trying to use with my windows 11 computer. They were working fine for about a month and then one day suddenly stopped working. I have tried factory resetting the headphones, restarting my computer and checking drives with no luck. When they are connected to my computer they do not show up as an input or output device. I have noticed, however, that after I disconnect them from my computer they show up as a sound device that is disconnected. When I connect them again they disappear. I have read several other forums outlining connectivity issues w

:)

 

Sony WH-1000XM5 - INOPERABLE as a Headset on Windows 11

Hi i accidentally found a simple and strange fix. so for anyone having similar issue, give this a try:

use the audio cable provided by Sony to plug into your laptop, then upon unplugging and using bluetooth/wireless again, it somehow fixes the issue.

my sound output now shows instead of "Headphones (WH-1000XM5)" instead of "Headset (WH-1000XM5 Hands-Free)"

mic input also now has "Headset - WH-1000XM5"

 

Sony WH-1000XM5 - INOPERABLE as a Headset on Windows 11

Windows 11 is riddled with bugs and issues, but the most rent appears to relate to Bluetooth. I have been using my Sony headphones for a few months with *minor* issues (unable to hear any audio using video calls on Microsoft Teams, was able to use Zoom video withy no issues). I recently tried to change the settings of a Zoom call to make the microphone on my headphones the default microphone rather than the build-in mic on my laptop, and everything stopped working.

I can now hear system notifications, youtube videos, etc.., However, Zoom calls, Teams calls, anything where a microphone is used in tandem with the headphone audio, the headphones no longer work - in "System --> Sound--> All Sound Devices, both the Sony microphone and Sony speaker show that they connected and receiving/ transmitting sound, but nothing comes through the headphones.

I have run the "sound" troubleshooter (System --> Sound--> Advanced) and "playing audio" troubleshooters with no results, checked all drivers for updated, disconnected, reconnected, restarted, shut down. No fix.

All three of the following show up in my device manager, but only "WH-1000XM5" shows up in my Bluetooth devices:

• Headphones (WH-1000XM5)
  
• Headset (WH-1000XM5 Hands-Free)
  
• Headset (WH-1000XM5)
  

Specs:

• HP EliteBook x360 1040 G8 Notebook PC
  
• Windows 11, version 22H2
  
• Cumulative Update - 2023-05
  

 

Sony WH-1000XM5 mic stopped working after update to 22H2

After trying almost every solution that can be found on the internet to fix this issue, I managed to get it working by doing the following:

1. Connect your WH-1000XM5 with you Windows laptop through bluetooth

2. Go to "Device Manager" --> "Audio inputs and outputs"

2.1 Here you will see 3 entries for the WH-1000XM5. You need to disable 2 out of the 3.

2.2 Disable the entry that has "Hands-Free" in the name by right clicking on it and then select "disable device
2.3 Do the same for the entry that contains the "location = on WH-1000XM5 Hands-Free AG". You can see this by double clicking on the entry and checking the location info.

3. Once these 2 are disabled, I downloaded a app called "FX sound". (here Boost Volume and Sound Quality on Your PC - FxSound). This steamlines your audio input and output through this app.

4. Once the app is installed, it will run all the input and output audio through this app. Feel free to turn the sound options/presets off if you want by clicking the big "turn off" button in the middle. I'm only using it to streamline the audio input/outputs.

That's it, now when I join a Teams call, I see a brief error that my headset/input/output device doesn't work (like it usually did) but then the app seems to do it's magic and my mic + sounds from the headset works perfectly and the error message disappears almost instantly.

I've been testing this now for 2 days (with 2 other colleagues who had the same issue, they have a WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3) and it also works for them.

Goodluck!