Your desktop or notebook PC configuration may include different components then shown here.įigure : Example desktop PC with a Realtek on-board audio hardware configuration) If the Recording tab in the sound window is not selected, open the Sound window and click the Recording tab using the instructions in Step Use the following steps to set the microphone/line-in port to be the default port and to configure the recording levels: When the headphones are removed, the speakers will automatically be used.As I understand the volume keeps going down on its own,ĭon't worry as I'll be glad to help, however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details:ĭid you make changes to the audio settings?īy default, Windows automatically enables microphones and line-in ports. When the headphones are plugged in, it will play sound through them.
It’s intelligent in that it knows which device is connected and which one isn’t and will effectively route sound accordingly. That’s all it takes. Windows 10 will allow you to have more than one default device as shown above. Unplug your headphones and plug them in again. Step 4: With your headphones still connected to your system, make them the default device. When you add this second device, the speakers and headphones you’ve connected will now show up separately in audio devices when you right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select the Volume Mixer. For the Bang & Olufsen audio panel, we had to go to Advanced Settings and enable multi-streaming playback and recording. These settings, and where to find them, will differ from control panel to control panel. On the audio control panel you need to add the second device. If there is absolutely nothing there then you will need to go through Windows own sound settings. For other systems, this control panel might be from a different manufacturer depending on what speakers you have. The system we tested this on came with Bang & Olufsen speakers and we needed to go through the audio control panel for it. Step 2: Open the sound driver’s audio control panel. Windows will remember the level for each one and when you connect the headphones, it will automatically adjust the volume to the last set for the device. You can now manage their volumes independently. Both speakers and headphones will start appearing as separate devices in the Volume Mixer. Remove the headphones and connect them again. Select them and click the ‘Set Default’ button. Now you need to set them as the default device. Step 4: This should enable the headphones. Step 3: Right-click the disabled headphones, and select ‘Enable’. The headphones you’ve connected will now appear as a disabled device. Step 2: In the Playback tab, right-click the one default speaker listed there and select ‘Show Disconnected devices’ and ‘Show Disabled Devices’. Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select Sounds. One is to use the default Windows Sound settings and the second is to use the sound driver’s own audio control panel.
If despite the sound driver being up to date, your headphones aren’t detected in the Volume Mixer there are two ways of dealing with this.
To do so, go the Device Manager and check if an update is available for the sound driver. Make sure your sound driver has been installed properly and that you’re running the latest version.
Windows 10 will detect the headphones as new hardware and sound will of course be routed through them but to manage them as a separate audio input/output device you need to add them first. Windows 10 is no different but if you’re headphones don’t show up in the volume mixer this simply won’t work. It lets you interdependently manage the volume for these devices and can change volume settings on the fly when a device is connected/disconnected.
Windows, as far back as Vista, has been able to identify multiple audio input and output devices connected to a system.