Complete Bluetooth Audio Problems (input and output)

[Appraisal]

Ok hear is the thing, I practically have always been cursed with electronics and such, having problems with them all my life. But this issue is something I don't even understand why it happens. So here it is..

A few days ago I finally got to sit down at my computer and I put on my headphones and turn them on (Arctis Nova 7, SteelSeries). I turn them on and every once in a while it just has audio problems where I need to change the inputs in the system and maybe the app itself but it was different this time around. I, once I got the output working, noticed my input was not working, so I went to the apps voice and video settings (Discord) and changed it to match, it didn't work. I looked to see and on my pc, my mic was a detected entity but was not connected. So after several excruciation hours of troubleshooting, I found a temp solution. Every time I turn the headset on and connect them I would have to go to control panel, then to sound settings, then to the specific mic and go to levels and click the little speaker Icon because for some reason it is inherently muted. So I want to not do that every time for my mic.

Oh but that's not where it ends... far from it.. So I am not the most tech savvy person on the planet so I do put off restarts and updates every once in a while but to make sure everything is good while I do have these issues I go through the process of going to HP support, updating all that's in there. I go to Windows settings and do the same. After 3-4 restarts and updates later I feel as if I'm all good. But not. Not. At. All. Here's where my newest struggle begins.

Today I am in the library trying to get schoolwork done and I need to watch a video as an assignment. I then put in my air pods (Gen 3) which have works pretty well since my first connection and then today find that there is no audio. "Great, just Great". So I do my normal troubleshooting and look at my Bluetooth, it says "Connected mic, audio" and then I look at my output and it says "(Headphones) - ________(what I named it)". So I am connected and it is detected but nothing. So then I look around and go back to HP support and trouble shoot audio. I do the diagnostics and then click the test audio button praying this would work. It doesn't. So I am lost, dancing in the liminal limbo of audio issues. Trying-failing, trying-failing. Over and over again. I almost give up and I then go to control panel again (my oldest enemy right alongside device manager). Inside control panel I head back over to sound, sound to the the headphones I am using and then back over to levels. I check the speaker icon, it is full volume and not muted, the slider is at 100 and seems to be fine but its still not playing anything.

Now to the strange part. Throughout this whole process Spotify is in the background and is supposed to be playing music into my air pods. So after checking levels I head back to playback where all the headphones are and then for no reason click on recordings (where all the mic's are). I click on my air pods and then low and behold Spotify starts playing. I am very confused at this moment and then click ok to leave my selected region and go back to playback. It stops, the sound cuts back out, and then I click on the recordings tab again. It turns back on. So I try this back and forth and it turns on and off. No settings change nothing, just switching tabs. So I nearly give up and then go back to playback, headphones and then levels (once again).  I then (for no reason once again) click on the slider and bring it to about 30-40. I hear it. The faintest sound, I turn it up and soon my hears are filled with the chorus from Viva La Vida (yes, it was like a sign to say you have completed the puzzle) and then I put it back to 100 and it worked. Clicked ok and then it was fine. But I was not convinced, so I restarted my computer for the last time. The sound of disconnection and then reconnection in my hear as the bootup process commenced. I checked the normal stuff, Bluetooth and output. Correct. I then hit play on a song to complete the process, nothing. I swear I almost broke the table I was at. So then I did everything I did before, all the way to the levels tab of my headphones and then messed with the slider, down and then up. It now worked. 

Soo, here I am, sitting at the table I almost broke, my spirits shattered and my caffeine filled heart ready to stop. I write this hoping literally anyone can help me. I know its not a problem with either of the headphones because I use booth on a regular basis connected to my phone. I want to know how to make it so I don't need to solve the puzzle of the Sphinx every time I want to watch a video or talk to my friends.  

Please anyone, I'm at my wits end and will take anything I can get. And hp admins or helpers, please I need help I don't know why things are like this, please give me a reason and a solution (the reason is a bonus, I just want closure).

Thank you for anyone willing to read this essay of a complaint.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Appraisal 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I completely understand how frustrating this must be. You’ve gone through so much troubleshooting, and while you’ve found a temporary solution, it’s definitely not ideal to keep going through these steps every time you want to use your headphones. Let's work through some potential solutions to fix this more permanently!

1. Update Bluetooth Drivers and Windows Audio Drivers

It sounds like the issue might be related to how your Bluetooth or audio drivers are interacting with your devices. Here's what you can try:

Update Bluetooth Drivers:

1. Open Device Manager (you can type this in the search bar).
2. Expand the Bluetooth section.
3. Right-click on your Bluetooth adapter and choose Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

Update Audio Drivers:

1. In Device Manager, expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
2. Right-click on your audio device (e.g., Realtek, or whatever it lists) and choose Update driver.
3. Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

After updating, restart your computer and check if the issue persists.

2. Set Default Playback and Recording Devices Properly

It seems like your playback and recording devices are sometimes getting mixed up. Let’s make sure that everything is set correctly from the start.

1. Right-click the sound icon on the taskbar and select Open Sound settings.
2. Under the Output section, make sure your headphones (AirPods or Arctis Nova) are selected as the default output device.
3. Scroll down and click on Advanced sound options to ensure your apps (like Spotify or Discord) are also set to the correct output.
4. Under the Input section, ensure your microphone (the headset's mic) is selected as the default input device.

3. Disable Audio Enhancements

Sometimes, the issue might come from Windows trying to apply certain audio enhancements that interfere with Bluetooth devices.

1. Right-click the sound icon on the taskbar and select Sounds.
2. Go to the Playback tab and select your headphones (right-click).
3. Choose Properties.
4. In the Enhancements tab, check Disable all enhancements and click apply

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Sneha_01

HP Support