Solved All bluetooth headphones are being set as headsets

bensimpson1981 · Mar 20, 2023

badrobot said:
I am not just referring to bluetooth headphones. Any other bluetooth device that you might have connected as well. Maybe a mouse or keyboard. I don't know. Just wondering if you have any other bluetooth devices besides headphones.

Thanks for clarifying but I understood what you meant, and yes I have tried that. No luck. Thanks for the suggestion though.

SlicEnDicE · Mar 20, 2023

bensimpson1981 said:
No they still don’t connect to headphones after handsfree has been disconnected.

Not disconnected...disabled alltogether. Big difference. Disable the HF, unpair all BT devices, reboot and repair headset.

bensimpson1981 · Mar 20, 2023

SlicEnDicE said:
Not disconnected...disabled alltogether. Big difference. Disable the HF, unpair all BT devices, reboot and repair headset.

Sorry I miss spoke, DISABLED, tried that. no luck.

badrobot · Mar 20, 2023

bensimpson1981 said:
Thanks for clarifying but I understood what you meant, and yes I have tried that. No luck. Thanks for the suggestion though.

You may want to start an RMA for your motherboard. I don't believe it is Windows 11 and don't tell them that. So far you are the only one with a problem because you can't even find a solution on the internet. Blame it on the mobo.

spapakons · Mar 20, 2023

Yes, don't make the mistake to mention Windows 11. If asked say you have Windows 10 64-bit. If you have a spare disk you may also try a clean installation of Windows 11 to see if the problem fixes. I bet it does, but the whole point is to avoid starting from scratch. Just a thought, update your chipset drivers and then Bluetooth drivers since the latter may be dependent on the former. You never know.

SlicEnDicE · Mar 20, 2023

The moment one starts to have issues like these I would do the following things in order(not skipping even one):

!!DO NOT SKIP A SINGLE STEP!!

In Settings -> Unpair ALL BT devices
In Device manager -> display hidden devices -> Uninstall ALL BT related drivers and devices
Uninstall ALL Audio related drivers and apps
Make sure the latest vendor provided Chipset driver is installed -> if not then install it (this may require brute force -> meaning uninstall->reboot->install cycle just to be on the safe side)
REBOOT
Install latest Chipset Driver (as this is the base for everything)
REBOOT
Install latest audio driver (leave out any Nahimic or other effects packages, just pure driver for audio for now. Even MS provided basic driver may be good enough here)
REBOOT
Install latest BT driver from Intel
REBOOT
Pair one headphones
If the headphones only connects as HF audio -> disable HF audio alltogether in Audio settings
Set Headphones as default playback device
If it does not work at this point, then unpair the headphones (not just disconnect, but the headphones has to be gone entirely from devices)
REBOOT
Re-pair Headphones
This should work now as stereo playback device
If it did not work, then Clean install Windows 11->install latest chipset driver
REBOOT
Install audio, WiFi, BT, etc...(vendor provided or manufacturer provided latest) drivers
REBOOT
Do not install any third party software, NOT EVEN ONE. (one need a clean Windows 11 instance to test)
Test BT again starting from step 12

!!DO NOT SKIP A SINGLE STEP!!

Notice the difference between Headphones and Headset, HP is stereo High Quality, while Headset is mono and Low Quality

spapakons · Mar 20, 2023

That's why I always recommend installing the chipset drivers first on a new Windows installation and then everything else. Also I don't completely trust Windows Update. I rather spend a little time to manually download all drivers from manufacturer and install them strictly in this order Chipset -> graphics -> audio -> network -> the rest. Restarting after each installation is too much but I do it on sensitive systems that could produce incompatibilities.

SlicEnDicE · Mar 20, 2023

spapakons said:
That's why I always recommend installing the chipset drivers first on a new Windows installation and then everything else. Also I don't completely trust Windows Update. I rather spend a little time to manually download all drivers from manufacturer and install them strictly in this order Chipset -> graphics -> audio -> network -> the rest. Restarting after each installation is too much but I do it on sensitive systems that could produce incompatibilities.

hehe, I always ensure network is installed first and graphics last, because that is the one driver that most often breaks everything for me. Windows basic display adapter is good enough for setup purposes.

BUT, before all this, I always install the latest (or verified to be the best/most stable) chipset driver first and reboot, because it forms the base for everything and integrity is vital.

All systems I've installed Windows 10 or 11 on, has been working error free since initial setup. This is hundreds of different machines from different brands with very different hardware configurations.

spapakons · Mar 20, 2023

Yes every other device depends on the chipset drivers, so install that first. The order of the others is not vital, but I try to prevent Windows Update messing with my graphics drivers, so I install these after the chipset. I remember Windows XP and earlier that installing the chipset drivers after other devices could make serious changes in Device Manager and lead to BSOD. So since Windows 95 I make sure chipset is installed first and then anything else. Back then I installed the graphics drivers after the chipset because I didn't like the 640x480 16-color desktop. After my eyes were satisfied I proceeded with the rest drivers.

SlicEnDicE · Mar 20, 2023

spapakons said:
So since Windows 95 I make sure chipset is installed first and then anything else. Back then I installed the graphics drivers after the chipset because I didn't like the 640x480 16-color desktop. After my eyes were satisfied I proceeded with the rest drivers.

This is exactly what I did also back then...annoying to configure something on a screen with cat sized pixels

spapakons · Mar 20, 2023

Tip: For anyone that wants to experiment with Windows 98 on a new graphics card, there is a generic VESA graphics driver that allows you to switch to any VESA compatible resolution such as 800x600 24-bit color, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1600x1200 etc. So at least you can have nice graphics to work with when you experiment with Windows 98... Of course forget DirectX, it is just for display. Yes, I had a little more free time back in University that I have today...

bensimpson1981 · Mar 20, 2023

SlicEnDicE said:
The moment one starts to have issues like these I would do the following things in order(not skipping even one):

!!DO NOT SKIP A SINGLE STEP!!

In Settings -> Unpair ALL BT devices

In Device manager -> display hidden devices -> Uninstall ALL BT related drivers and devices

Uninstall ALL Audio related drivers and apps

Make sure the latest vendor provided Chipset driver is installed -> if not then install it (this may require brute force -> meaning uninstall->reboot->install cycle just to be on the safe side)

REBOOT

Install latest Chipset Driver (as this is the base for everything)

REBOOT

Install latest audio driver (leave out any Nahimic or other effects packages, just pure driver for audio for now. Even MS provided basic driver may be good enough here)

REBOOT

Install latest BT driver from Intel

REBOOT

Pair one headphones

If the headphones only connects as HF audio -> disable HF audio alltogether in Audio settings

Set Headphones as default playback device

If it does not work at this point, then unpair the headphones (not just disconnect, but the headphones has to be gone entirely from devices)

REBOOT

Re-pair Headphones

This should work now as stereo playback device

If it did not work, then Clean install Windows 11->install latest chipset driver

REBOOT

Install audio, WiFi, BT, etc...(vendor provided or manufacturer provided latest) drivers

REBOOT

Do not install any third party software, NOT EVEN ONE. (one need a clean Windows 11 instance to test)

Test BT again starting from step 12

!!DO NOT SKIP A SINGLE STEP!!

Notice the difference between Headphones and Headset, HP is stereo High Quality, while Headset is mono and Low Quality

spapakons said:
That's why I always recommend installing the chipset drivers first on a new Windows installation and then everything else. Also I don't completely trust Windows Update. I rather spend a little time to manually download all drivers from manufacturer and install them strictly in this order Chipset -> graphics -> audio -> network -> the rest. Restarting after each installation is too much but I do it on sensitive systems that could produce incompatibilities.

SlicEnDicE said:
hehe, I always ensure network is installed first and graphics last, because that is the one driver that most often breaks everything for me. Windows basic display adapter is good enough for setup purposes.

BUT, before all this, I always install the latest (or verified to be the best/most stable) chipset driver first and reboot, because it forms the base for everything and integrity is vital.

All systems I've installed Windows 10 or 11 on, has been working error free since initial setup. This is hundreds of different machines from different brands with very different hardware configurations.

spapakons said:
Yes every other device depends on the chipset drivers, so install that first. The order of the others is not vital, but I try to prevent Windows Update messing with my graphics drivers, so I install these after the chipset. I remember Windows XP and earlier that installing the chipset drivers after other devices could make serious changes in Device Manager and lead to BSOD. So since Windows 95 I make sure chipset is installed first and then anything else. Back then I installed the graphics drivers after the chipset because I didn't like the 640x480 16-color desktop. After my eyes were satisfied I proceeded with the rest drivers.

Yeah I have to agree, chipset drivers are the first thing, ALWAYS.
Well I have determined that the onboard bluetooth module has got to be the root of the problem.
Why the first couple addon bluetooth adapters did not work, I can only guess that it was a driver conflict?
I tried another addon bluetooth adapter and it is functioning flawlessly now.
Not worth RMA and reworking the system.
$20 on Amazon and problem is fixed.
It has been a very educational though painful process.

Thank you all for your help and support.

Fabler2 · Mar 20, 2023

bensimpson1981 said:
Yeah I have to agree, chipset drivers are the first thing, ALWAYS.
Well I have determined that the onboard bluetooth module has got to be the root of the problem.
Why the first couple addon bluetooth adapters did not work, I can only guess that it was a driver conflict?
I tried another addon bluetooth adapter and it is functioning flawlessly now.
Not worth RMA and reworking the system.
$20 on Amazon and problem is fixed.
It has been a very educational though painful process.

Thank you all for your help and support.

Thanks for letting us know the outcome.

Sola · Dec 20, 2023

Hi guys, first of all sorry for my English.
I have the same problem, that's why I am here
As I've read here the problem was solved by buying another Bluetooth.
Well I have Windows 10, on notebook and pc.
And I have this problem on both and with different Bluetooth headphones and with different Bluetooth adapters, so it looks like it is Windows problem.
Problem - when I connect Bluetooth headphones with mic (Sony WH-1000XM4 or Huawei am61) in system appears 2 devices. Headphones and headset(mic and sound). While I am listening to music everything is ok, but at the moment I start any application for voice (teamspeak or discord) the system wants to playback through headset, I think because headset is used for mic. But sound quality in headset is mono. So how it looks - I hear good music then I open discord and sound disappear, to listen to my buddy I need to switch playback through headset, and then we can talk, but all music, video etc sounds like s*t through headset, but I cannot make system play sounds through headphones, because this way mic don't work. Rly I'm going crazy about it, and it seems to me I have to buy wired razer headset to be able to play or listen music and talk normally

spapakons · Dec 20, 2023

I think you don't have to change the audio settings in Windows (global settings, valid for all applications). You must change the audio settings in Discord or whichever other application you use for recording. Open Discord settings and change the output to Headphones and the input to the microphone. They might be set to "default audio device" or "system audio device". Change it to explicitly the devices you want. As far as I know similar issues have Zoom, Webex and similar applications until you explicitly set the audio output and input devices from their respective settings.

SlicEnDicE · Dec 21, 2023

Sola said:
Problem - when I connect Bluetooth headphones with mic (Sony WH-1000XM4 or Huawei am61) in system appears 2 devices. Headphones and headset(mic and sound). While I am listening to music everything is ok, but at the moment I start any application for voice (teamspeak or discord) the system wants to playback through headset, I think because headset is used for mic. But sound quality in headset is mono.

The reason for this may be that there's not enough bandwidth available for both HQ Audio and Mic input, so it falls back to mono audio. The problem is not Windows but your BT adapter.

Ofc it may also be just a Windows setting.

You have 3 main options.
1. HQ Audio playback but mic turned off
2. HQ Mic in stereo but HQ audio playback turned off
3. LQ Audio and LQ mic.

I have had this same issue with many brands, there simply isn't enough bandwidth to go two ways HQ using BT. Latest BT specs take this into account and with some rare brand you may be able to get HQ audio 2-ways. Sony headphones does NOT support this. I have XM3, XM4 and XM5 ones...

spapakons · Dec 21, 2023

How much bandwidth is required for full stereo on both headphones and mic? Does a Bluetooth device version 4.0 or higher provide that bandwidth in short distance (1-2m) between the PC and the headset? To check your Bluetooth version open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth devices, right-click on the Bluetooth Radio device, select Properties, go to Advanced tab and check the firmware version. LMP 6 stands for Bluetooth 4.0, if it is higher LMP version is also higher Bluetooth version.

Even with mono headphones and mono mic I think the audio quality shouldn't suffer. You may have a faulty driver or some interference introducing noise to the Bluetooth signal (such as a nearby Wi-Fi network at the same frequency or a microwave oven). To make sure your own Wi-Fi network is not causing interference try turning it off (assuming you are connected via ethernet cable). Access your router interface, it might allow you to change the Wi-Fi channel. If it does, try changing it.

PS: Some Bluetooth headsets or speakers may appear twice on the paired Bluetooth device list. One is "brand xxx Headphones" and the other is "brand xxx earphones" Connecting to the "earphones" version has bad quality for my JBL Charge Bluetooth speaker. See if you have the same issue and change the device to fix it. You change the Bluetooth device from Settings, Devices, Bluetooth. Click the Connect button on the desired device.

Sola · Dec 21, 2023

Well I decided just to order razer headphones with 2.4 dongle.
But while trying to find an answer I found a thread in Reddit -

https://www.reddit.com/r/bluetooth/comments/k3rku1

And as I understood, modern Bluetooth 5.2 has enough bandwidth, but not every bt headphones support it, and also there is a problem in Windows and codecs.
And the funniest thing for me was an information on Sony's page - you can enjoy best quality, but if you wanna talk switch to headset and if after that you are not pleased with quality of music just switch back to headphones)) 350 euro headphones, that's sad rly

And I tried everything, many hours like a maniac I've checked different headphones, different Bluetooth adapters, different laptops and pc.
I've changed drivers, settings in discord or teamspeak. Last thing happened I've noticed that when you open windows sound settings while music is playing, a playback tab is opened and everything is ok, the moment you switch to record tab - music shuts down. It is playing but with no sound. You switch back to playback tab - you hear the sound again.
That means that whenever system refers to headset for microphone it automatically switches playback device to headset. After that you only have to choose headset as the playback device in application that produces sounds. Everything works, but in LQ. No way you can use headset for mic and headphones for playback.
I couldn't solve this, I even tried to change drivers for headset, so it could be recognized as average microphone - it didn't work.

spapakons · Dec 21, 2023

I suspect there is some source of interference in your area that reduces the available bandwidth which is enough for listening to music but not enough for both listening and recording (speaking through the mic). See my previous post.

PS: To rule out a drivers issue, you must completely uninstall the Bluetooth drivers and reinstall them. If you find official drivers from the Bluetooth dongle manufacturer, even better. Don't rely solely on Windows Update. A quick test is to right click on the Bluetooth device and select Update Drivers, then go to the second option (manually), then again to the second option (select from list). See the list of drivers, if there is more than one try them all. If after manually installing the drivers doesn't fix the issue you must completely uninstall them (see if there is an entry in Settings, Apps, Installed Applications) and reinstall them. If you see no entry there, click on each Bluetooth device in Device Manager and press Del (uninstall). If you are prompted to also delete the driver, check the box to delete it. After you have uninstalled all Bluetooth devices restart your computer to find drivers again. If you have official drivers, run the Setup. See if the issue is fixed.

PS2: If you cannot find suitable drivers, you can try IVT Blue Soleil (BlueSoleil, the most easy-to-use, innovative and interoperable Bluetooth software, Bluetooth driver) which is an alternative Bluetooth driver and interface that also enable many Bluetooth features not normally available for all Bluetooth dongles.

SlicEnDicE · Dec 21, 2023

Sola said:
Well I decided just to order razer headphones with 2.4 dongle.
But while trying to find an answer I found a thread in Reddit -
https://www.reddit.com/r/bluetooth/comments/k3rku1

Correct answer and only solution for the moment to get HQ Audio IO wirelessly.

Solved All bluetooth headphones are being set as headsets

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