Poor sound in Bluetooth headphones on a computer or laptop. What to do?

Headphones are a necessary attribute of a modern person, without which it is already difficult to imagine everyday life. With their help, we can listen to music, communicate with each other, watch movies and other video files that are not only entertaining, but also necessary for work.

But sometimes you have to deal with breakdowns or other troubles, such as too quiet a sound, the appearance of strange noises or dull sound. Don’t rush to throw away your headphones and buy new ones—you can try to solve the problem yourself. You will learn how to do this in this article.

The main reasons for the deterioration of headphone sound

Perhaps the most common reason that your headphones become quieter is dirty sound output channels. After all, even in the cleanest room there are dust particles that settle everywhere. In addition, sweat generated by the human body can also accumulate on the surface of the device. And over time, turn into deposits of salts and other substances. All this leads to the fact that the sound is no longer easily disrupted, which means we hear it worse.

It is possible that while using the headphones, the owner changed the settings on his smartphone or computer. As a result, the sound may change to a duller sound. It is enough to return the settings to what they were before so that the device works stably again. In addition to contamination of the protective grid and settings, there may be more serious causes of failure. If the headphones have been subjected to shock or exposure to water, you may need to seek professional help. Because cleaning alone won't help matters.

A thin wire is also a common cause of headphone failure. The sound may change if part of its vein is broken or torn. In some expensive headphone models, even after connecting the broken wires, the device may not work.

Sound distortion in Windows 10

You can try these suggestions and see which one helps you. Follow these steps carefully and help yourself get out of this problem.

1] Disable sound effects

First, you need to disable all sound effects and enhancements on the system. Here's how to do it:

This disables audio enhancements.

2] Reinstall the driver in compatibility mode

If disabling all sound effects did not work, you will need to uninstall and reinstall your sound drivers in compatibility mode. Before you start, make sure you have a driver installation ready for this device,

Wait for the removal to complete and then restart your device.

3] Check your speakers

If you have VLC Media Player installed and you have turned up the volume to 100%, you have most likely damaged your speakers. If the sound distortion is below 100% when using speakers, but is normal when using headphones, the speakers need to be replaced.

4] Reinstall DirectX

If only some programs or games have no sound, reinstall DirectX. You can also try running the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.

5] Set audio to 24-bit format

This is a pretty effective option.

You will need to do this individually for each media application you have.

6] Run the Audio Playback Troubleshooter

Play a media file to launch your system's media application. and then follow this procedure to play audio playback troubleshooting

Wait until your work is completed.

Hope something helps!

Here is another guide that can help you solve audio and sound problems in Windows 10.

Source

We clean the headphones from dirt if your headphones become quieter

A common type of headphone is the earbud: two small plastic housings shaped to fit into the ear. Inside them there is a small speaker that reproduces sound. The top is covered with a thin layer of mesh made of various materials.

It serves as a protection for the speaker so that nothing gets inside and muffles the sound. The mesh is covered with a rubber pad (ear pad) so that the earphone can stay in the ear. And also to soften the friction of hard plastic on human skin.

1. To clean such an earphone, you need to remove it from the rubber gasket.
2. Then add hydrogen peroxide to a small container and dip the earphone a little so that the entire mesh is immersed in it.
3. It is worth holding it in the solution for no more than 1 minute.

Then take a needle and clean the holes in the mesh. But don’t get carried away, the needle needs to be lowered into the hole a few millimeters. All that remains is to wipe both headphones and put the rubber lining back in place. Often the mesh can also be painlessly removed to clean the container underneath.

At this stage, you can check whether the sound has been increased or whether it is still quiet in the headphones. If we were unable to repair the device, we continue to repair it further.

Read more: Wireless headphones do not pair with each other, what should I do?

Noise, interference

If the sound is not reproduced correctly, when noise or interference is heard, it is easy to correct the situation if it is caused by all sorts of effects installed by default. If there is noise in the headphones on the computer, how to remove it? Let’s consider this issue.

• Go to device properties.
• Go to the “Advanced Features” tab and disable all effects.
• Return to the list of devices, go to the “Communication” tab.
• Set the value to “No action required”.

Playback should improve, the sound should become clearer, the noise should be removed.

Checking the headphone wires

Inside the headphone cable there are often thin copper wires through which the music “flows”. Due to frequent bending, the wire may break over time. Particularly susceptible to this are places with a hard bend (near the earphone itself, near the plug).

Pets – cats and dogs – often help to break the cable. They find the item amusing and after playing for a while the device is no longer usable. Check the headphone cable. There may be obvious signs of a break or tear on them.

If they are not there, try connecting the headphones to your phone or other player and gradually bending each centimeter of the cable. If during the process the sound begins to play louder, it means that the wire inside is broken in this place. Try connecting the headphones to another device and see if they are louder. Reconnect the headphones to your smartphone several times. It would also be a good idea to check the plug socket in your phone. It also often becomes clogged with dust and dirt.

Bluetooth headphones (wireless)

Causes of failure

Bluetooth headphones may not work well for the following reasons:

• Going out of Bluetooth range.
• The Bluetooth version on the headset and on the mobile device is not compatible.
• Bluetooth is disabled on the phone.
• The headset is broken.
• The gadget is not connected to the headphones.
• The headphones are low on battery.

Solution

You need to find out the root cause of the problem in order to fix it. Then the headset will function properly:

• Turn on the headphones. The headset may have an on/off button. You need to click on it once for everything to work.
• We charge the headphones. This is the most common reason. It is likely that the headset battery can no longer withstand heavy loads. Such batteries wear out very quickly, and Chinese accessories may not meet the specified battery capacity parameters.
• Activate pairing of devices. We turn on Bluetooth on the phone, after which we find wireless headphones and connect them. The headset must be in pairing mode. Then all problems with headphones will be solved.
• Turn on Bluetooth. We find the corresponding icon in the curtain. Activate Bluetooth.


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• Reducing the distance to the phone. The headset can function stably only at a certain distance from the gadget. If you leave this distance, the connection will completely disappear or become intermittent. If the battery charge level decreases, the normal operating range will begin to decrease. If it works properly at close range, you simply don’t need to move far from the smartphone.
• We check the headset for compatibility. All Bluetooth devices are backwards compatible, but there are cases when pairing fails due to different versions of this technology. You need to check the headphones on another device with a different version of Bluetooth. If everything works fine, then this is the cause of the problem.
• We replace or repair the headset. We use this method only as a last resort if the hardware is broken. Often it is useless to repair headphones, because... the cost of repairs will be more expensive than their value.

Wireless Bluetooth headphones won't connect to Android phone

Why doesn't my Android phone see my headphones?

How to adjust headphone sound

As a result of using the smartphone, the sound settings may have been accidentally affected. You can check them through the settings.

1. In the list of smartphone options, select “Sound”.
2. Several controls will appear on the screen in Android and IOS devices.
3. Make sure that the sound is turned on in the settings and the volume control is set to full. The side keys on the smartphone’s body help do the same.
4. To adjust the music volume, you need to turn on the track at this moment.

Also among the volume settings there is a function with which you can return the settings to the default value. Use it to fix low sound.

The headphones themselves sometimes have a discreet volume control. Try changing the sound with it. If your headphones don't sound loud to begin with, try using apps to boost the sound.

What to do if there is a dull sound in the headphones on the computer

First of all, check the file itself - unplug your headphones and listen to it using speakers. It happens that a file downloaded somewhere is deformed or poorly recorded, so it is impossible to listen to it in good quality.

Then go to Control Panel and change some settings. It may be that the sound is simply too quiet and increasing the volume will correct the problem. Go to the Hardware and Sound folder and find the Manage Sound Devices button. Then, in the “Recording” tab, click on “Stereo Mixer”. Select the maximum value on all the items that appear - this will increase the volume and you will be able to evaluate the sound quality.

If this does not help, then most likely the problem is physical damage. Then you will have to determine the problem and replace the broken element - it could be a plug or a wire, depending on the damage received.

In addition, you can try cleaning the headphone jack - perhaps dirt has accumulated in them, which interferes with the high-quality playback of the desired files.

ATTENTION! An exact solution can only be given if you know the cause of the problem. Therefore, if you cannot determine it yourself, then all that remains is to go to specialists.

Now you know why there may be a dull sound in your headphones and what you can try to do about it. In most cases, the simple operations described above help the device again play all the necessary files efficiently and without the “trumpet effect”.

Programs for smartphones

There are programs that can improve the sound only in headsets and add visually surround 7.1-channel sound. For example, Razer Surround, considered one of the best. Since the perception of frequency is individual for each person, the program allows for simple independent calibration and adjustment of audio signals.

General setup of a sound device on Android can be done using:

• Headphones Equalizer: a program that allows you to automatically adjust the sound for a specific headphone model;
• EQ Music Player: Refers to the multi-functional tuning tools; can enhance bass, work with sound in games, videos, etc.;
• “Music equalizer”: a program that can debug an audio signal for any musical genre;
• "Music player" with many functions and a user-friendly interface.

Topic materials: 10 best headphones for Iphone

, 4 Best Headphones for Swimming , 6 Best In-Ear Bass Enhanced Headphones , 6 Best Hi-End Headphones , 6 Best Surround Sound Headphones

, How to properly set the equalizer (for headphones)

, How to properly warm up your headphones and whether you need to do it , Hi-res high-definition music: how is it different and how to use it

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Driver problems

Sound problems may be due to incorrect sound card drivers. This can also cause unnecessary noise when connecting devices. If the previous measures did not help, use updating or reinstalling drivers, install compatible drivers, even if they are not native.

If the problem occurs after installing an update or utility, roll back the system. Open the properties of the sound card, on the “Driver” tab, click “Roll Back”. You will return the driver to its previous working state.

You can use another method: completely remove the sound card drivers and click “Update configuration” in the device manager. The system automatically finds and installs the necessary software.

If the system does not find the driver you need, install it manually. Find the driver on the official website. If your laptop's sound card does not work, look on the website of the manufacturer of that particular laptop. If the card is built into the motherboard, look for the driver on the motherboard manufacturer's website. If the card was purchased separately, check with the card manufacturer for drivers. When searching for drivers, pay attention to the matching system bit size: x64 or x86.

To ensure that the software is reinstalled and not just updated, first remove the sound card in Device Manager.

If there is a driver, but it is intended for an earlier version of the OS, then run the installation through compatibility mode. This mode is located in the driver properties on the special “Compatibility” tab. Specify the parameter of the downloaded driver and start the installation. The launch must be performed with administrator rights.

Thus, without resorting to calling specialists, in most cases you can solve the problem of poor sound or lack of it yourself, reduce the noise, increase the volume. Do not rush to resort to radical measures - reinstalling the drivers right away, perhaps the reason is simpler. Based on the situation, choose a means to restore normal operation of devices.

Many people suddenly find that headphones that were just playing great stop working; the sound in them becomes quiet, dull, distant, as if coming from a pipe. Why is this happening? If you came home, took off your headphones, put them on the table, went to lunch, plugged in your headphones again, and they began to sound very bad, the answer is clear - physical damage.

The sound of headphones like a pipe in most cases occurs when there is poor or no contact. Let's look at all the possible problems:

Method #4) Reset AirPods

I would rank this method higher, but it's usually not necessary. If you've tried everything and your AirPods still sound muffled, your best bet is to simply reset them completely, returning them to factory settings.

How to reset AirPods? Just follow these steps: Press and hold the button on the back of your AirPods case for 15 seconds > the light should flash WHITE, then AMBER, then go back to WHITE > when the white light flashes a second time, it means your AirPods are rebooted.

• Save

Then you need to connect your AirPods to your iPhone again; To do this, follow the usual procedure for pairing AirPods with iPhone:

• Go to Home Screen
• Open the case with AirPods inside and hold it next to your iPhone.
• A setup animation will appear on your iPhone.
• Click Connect

Once you do this, you can now check if the muted sound persists. If yes, move on to the last step - method number 5.

Changing equalizer settings

Even the simplest players, including standard Windows Media, have a built-in equalizer in which you can adjust the frequency range. To do this, you need to launch the program itself and right-click on the menu Additional Features - Equalizer.

By experimenting with the engines in the window that opens or using a ready-made profile, you can select the appropriate frequency for playing a specific audio or video file. Please note that your settings will only be used in this program, but will not affect sounds played by other sources.

The most popular VLC player (you will need to install it on your computer separately) has a large number of effects and filters. You can equalize the sound strength in it by going to the Tools - Effects and Filters menu. Any of the equalizer settings can be saved if desired.

To adjust the 10-band equalizer, you first need to turn it on by checking the box in the upper left corner of the panel (Audio Effects tab). Even if the source file is recorded with poor quality, by selecting settings, changing presets, and adjusting low frequencies in this program, you can significantly improve the sound quality.

To improve the sound, you can download a special plugin, for example, DFX Audio Enhancer. The program can significantly improve the frequency characteristics of audio. The program will help you simulate a subwoofer, give a 3D effect, create a special listening atmosphere, etc.