Start with this check.
In Settings → System → Sound, check the selected output. Compare the same audio through the headphones and another known output. If only one app fails, investigate its volume mixer settings.
Lower the volume before testing. Do not uninstall every driver or remove unrelated Bluetooth devices. Pairing again may require the manufacturer’s procedure.
Which situation matches yours?
Let’s go step by step.
0 of 5 checks completedMark each check to keep track during this visit.
Identify the connected device
Confirm the exact headphone name in Windows and check its charge. With similarly named accessories, avoid selecting one just because it appears first. Check whether another source is playing through the headphones.
Paired but disconnected is different from a connected output that stays silent.
Choose an output you can verify
Open Settings → System → Sound and select the headphones as output. Use a familiar file or video at low volume. Check both Windows volume and the accessory’s physical control.
If audio moves from speakers to headphones, output selection mattered. Stop changing settings once the test works.
Compare two applications
Play audio in another app using the same headphones. If one works and another does not, review Volume mixer and the output selected inside the failing app.
This points to the single-app sound guide. Rebuilding the entire Bluetooth connection would affect more than the observed problem.
Test the accessory separately
Outside a call, try the headphones with another device you own using their manual. Then reconnect to the PC. Avoid changing PC and accessory settings together because you would lose the comparison.
Failure on both devices points towards the accessory. Failure only in Windows is useful evidence for the next check.
Reconnect and use official support
Save work before restarting the PC. If reconnection fails, open Microsoft’s Bluetooth help. Remove and pair only these headphones when you know how to put them in pairing mode.
Record changes and outcomes. Obtain drivers through Windows Update or the manufacturer, not generic driver bundle websites.
When to stop and ask for help
For a persistent PC-only failure, record the headphone model, Windows version and apps compared. On managed equipment, ask the administrator before changing drivers.
Does a step differ from what you see? →Common questions
Does connected mean it is the default output?
Do not assume so. Check the selected output and where the test plays.
Should I remove every Bluetooth device?
No. Isolate the affected headphones and preserve other connections.
Does this cover choppy audio?
This guide investigates missing sound. Dropouts or reduced quality need observations about distance, interference and whether a call is active.
Sources and review
Project owner: Eudald Ferrer Ibáñez. Report a correction.
This guide uses official documentation and our own troubleshooting sequence. Menus may change between versions. Documentation reviewed on September 28, 2026; practical device testing is still pending.
How we review and correct guides →Have you identified the problem?
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