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In Windows 10's "Playback" tab in the "Sound" window, I would get two devices listed for each pair of Bluetooth headphones I would have connected. For my ear buds, we first have the buds listed as headphones and then as headset. The headset device is intentionally disabled by me. We'll get to why in a moment. On a clean install of Windows 11 on the same machine with the same devices / drivers, I am only shown the headphones: enter image description here

How can I force Windows 11 to show me my buds as both headphones and headsets just like in Windows 10?

The reason I want this is because it gives me control over what Bluetooth profile is used with my ear buds because of the oligophrenic way Windows handles this.

Say I am listening in glorious A2DP stereo to a podcast while working. After some time, I have to join a Slack call. When I enter the call, the sane thing for Windows to do would be to switch to the headset profile but it more often then not does not do that. As a result, I could hear everyone on the call in stereo quality but they can't hear me.

On windows 10 the fix is simple: open the playback devices window (pictured above), disable the "Headphones" version of my buds and enable the "Headset" version. Lo and behold, I can now both hear and speak on my Slack call.

What happens after the call ends and I want to continue listening to the podcast? That's right, Windows refuses to switch back to stereo mode and I am stuck listening to my podcast in potato quality. Back in the playback devices window I go, disable the headset and enable the headphones.

In windows 11 I can no longer do that. Sometimes I can fix it by disabling and re-enabling Bluetooth in windows or turning the buds on or off. Other times, the only thing that works is going into services and restarting the "Windows Audio Endpoint Builder" service.

Bluetooth headphones/headsets have always been more of a handicap than a feature in Windows but with windows 11, instead of actually fixing it, they somehow made it worse. How hard can it be? Phones have been doing it for decades...

I already tried checking every combination of Bluetooth services inside the properties of my buds but doesn't seem to affect the problem: enter image description here

user1969903
  • 207

3 Answers3

1

If you have tried the Windows 10 driver on Windows 11 and this has changed nothing, then the problem is with Windows 11 itself and not with the driver.

The solution to the problem must come from Microsoft. The most you can do is signal the problem in the Feedback Hub and wait for a fix (or rollback to Windows 10 before the limit of 10 days expires).

harrymc
  • 498,455
1

A bit late to the party but if you have the same problem that I had, degrading audio quality when any program uses the headset input, open up Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers, disable the headset or hands-free device that you don't want. Restart and enjoy the high quality content again!

This solved the issue for me in Windows 11 and I can game and meet again without a crappy connection. The input device disappears however so you need an external microphone if you still need any input device

TrainedMusician
  • 51
1

Apparently, removing headset profile as a playback device was a design change by Microsoft on Windows 11. See announcement below:

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/04/29/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-21370/

Edit quote:

Unified audio endpoint: No more clicking through multiple audio endpoints to make your Bluetooth headset’s voice and mic work properly. We now only expose one audio endpoint in the UI and will switch to the correct one automatically for you for a seamless experience. Listening to Spotify and then have to hop onto a Teams call? You can also now directly control the volume of your headset.

selaskar
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