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

bluetoothperipheralswindows 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.

Best Answer

This annoying behaviour is caused by limited Bluetooth bandwitch when using both mic+headset channels. It's quite well explained here: https://www.howtogeek.com/354321/why-bluetooth-headsets-are-terrible-on-windows-pcs/

Here's the salient part for your issue:

Technically, when you’re just using the headphones as a sound output device, they’re using the A2DP Bluetooth profile, and ideally using AptX for maximum sound quality.

When you need the microphone, they’ll use the headset profile or hands-free profile (HSP or HFP). This allows for both recording via the microphone and playback via the headphones, but the headphone sound quality is terrible when using HSP or HFP.

If you’re just using a Bluetooth headset to take a phone call, that might be fine. If you want to speak into your headset’s mic while listening to music, playing a game, or watching a video on your PC, you’ll be frustrated.

For a PC headset with an integrated microphone, Bluetooth is a terrible choice. You’re better off getting a wired headset, or even just getting a separate microphone.

Bluetooth 5.0, which has already been announced, offers much higher bandwidth. This should let future Bluetooth headsets play back audio at high quality while the microphone is being used, in theory.

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