Windows 10: Wired Headphones not working/recognized

Hi there,


So I had been using wired headphones for my computer for all my life. Recently one of my headphones had died so I was forced to use my wireless headphones AirPods for my computer. I recently just got a new pair of headphones and they do not work for me anymore.


I am able to use my AirPods with no problems right now, however when I try to connect my wired headphones 2 things happen. First, the wired headphones are not recognized as it's own headset device and is only recognized as "Speaker". Second, there is sound coming out, however, it is extremely distorted and low quality, it seems that it cuts off speaking voices and vocals in songs.


I have tried everything I can do on my end, updating the driver, downloading the latest driver I have a Lenovo Legion Y740, rolling back the driver to when it used to work for me. I am not too sure on my next steps anymore and would love assistance.


Best,


Stephen

:)

 

Headphones recognized as Speakers...

Hi Ahri,

Having your headphones recognized as speaker when plugged in at the back of your PC could be the reason why the audio is low. To help us isolate the problem, we suggest running first the audio troubleshooter from the link Fix
sound problems.

In case the issue persists, then let's remap or retask your Realtek audio jack and see if it addresses the issue. To do that, follow the steps below:

• Open the Realtek HD Audio Manager.
• In the back panel, right click the option where your headphone is connected.
• Choose the option Connector Retasking, then select Headphone.

Feel free to update us with the result so we can further assist you.

Regards.

 

Headphones not working.

Hi Haylee,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community and being a part of Windows 10.

I understand your concern about accessing the headphones on your device. We will help you with this issue.

Do let us know the following to assist you better with this issue:

• What is the make and model of your device?
• What are the troubleshooting steps you have tried to resolve the issue?
• How have you connected the headphones to your device?
• Were you able to see if the headphones detected on your computer?

As a work around, try the below and update us the status of this issue:

• I suggest you to connect the headphones to different device and check if the headphone is working fine. This will help us to detect if the issue is with headphone.
• If headphones are working fine on other devices, try to connect the headphones to different ports on the PC in the question and check if it is working fine. This will help us to know if the issue is with ports.

I recommend you to install all the pending updates on your device and check if it helps.

Steps:

• Connect to the internet.
• Press Windows key and type updates.
• Click on Check for updates.
• Under Windows Updates, click on Check for updates.
• Try to install the updates being shown.

Hope it helps. Try the above and update us the status of this issue with the required information, we will be happy to help you further.

 

Bose wireless headphones not recognized.

Remove headphones from Device Manager

Sometimes there might be issues with Bose Bluetooth headphones on Windows 10, but users reported that this issue can be fixed simply by removing your headphones from Device Manager. To do that, follow these steps:

Press Windows Key + X and choose Device Manager from the list.

device-manager

Locate your headphones in Device Manager, right click them and choose Uninstall.

uninstall-driver

After you’ve deleted Bose headphones from Device Manager, they should appear as headphones in Bluetooth devices list. Try pairing your PC with Bose headphones, but if the pairing doesn’t work you’ll need to delete the headphones’ memory. To do that, follow
these steps:

On your Bose headphones slide the Power button up to the Bluetooth symbol and hold it there for 10 seconds.

Now headphones should appear in the Bluetooth devices list, and you’ll be able to connect them to your PC.

Some users are suggesting that you don’t need to delete the device from Device Manager, you just have to delete the headphones’ memory by following the instructions above.

Solution 2 – Uninstall your audio driver and install the latest audio driver

If you’re using wired Bose headphones, you might want to try removing your audio driver in order to fix any potential issues. To remove an audio driver, just go to Device Manager, locate your audio driver, right click it and choose Uninstall. After uninstalling
the audio driver, it’s recommended to go to your motherboard or sound card manufacturer’s website and download the latest audio driver.

Few users also suggest installing audio drivers by using the compatibility mode. To do that, follow these steps:

Locate the audio driver setup file and right click it. Choose Properties

Navigate to Compatibility tab and check Run this program in compatibility mode for.

Select one of the previous versions of Windows, for example Windows 7, and click Apply and OK to save changes.

Run the setup file and install the latest audio drivers.

Use a Bluetooth adapter / update your Bluetooth drivers

Problems with Bose headphones can be caused by Bluetooth drivers, so make sure that they are up to date before connecting Bose Bluetooth headphones. If you have the latest drivers, but the problem still persists, you might want to use a Bluetooth adapter. Users
reported that after buying a Bluetooth adapter and installing the necessary drivers the issue was resolved. While buying a Bluetooth adapter, make sure to choose one that comes with with a driver CD in order to avoid any further Bluetooth issues.