Surface Headphones Choppy Audio with Desktop

I have the Surface Headphones paired with a Surface Studio 2. I also have an LG V20 and a Thinkpad P50. 

When I first got the Surface Headphones I had them paired with all the above. I discovered however that I would get the audio noise artifacts and connection drop outs when ever these were all in close proximity. In the end I deleted the pairing from the other devices and now I never have an issue when just connected to my Surface Studio. My Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones also exhibit similar behaviour, but only with the Surface studio, my Thinkpad can have any number of bluetooth devices attached and it just keeps on trucking.

My conclusion is that it is the surface device drivers, firmware or hardware that is at fault.

If Microsoft stopped being cheap and quality tested thier code on bare metal machines rather than on Virtual machines they wouldn't have these issues !!

Hello Turkdue,

Thank you for reaching out Microsoft Community. I have few questions here to isolate the issue.

• What is the OS Version or your Desktop?
• Is it happening when playing musics via spotify, other apps or making calls?
• Is it connected to only one device or two devices at the same time and the audio switches from one to another?
• How about if you connect it to a different device, desktop or phone?

We also wanted to let you know that if Surface Headphone is connected to two or more host devices and you are playing audio from both devices. The audio may not be clear and may sound choppy. Do not play audio from two devices connected to your headphones at the same time. We are currently investigating. First, check to see if you are streaming audio from multiple devices at the same time, and if so, stop the audio on the second device.

But if the Audio quality is just not as good as expected. This can be because the correct audio profile is not selected. For example, the customer is listening to music, but the Surface Headphones Hands-Free audio profile is being used. The Surface Headphones Hands-Free audio profile is best for phone calls, while the Surface Headphones Stereo profile is best for audio from music and videos. Apply the latest Windows Updates and then restart (not shut down). Press and release the power button to turn the headphones off and turn them back on again. If the issue still occurs, manually select the correct audio profile. If the appropriate Surface audio profile is not available, go to Bluetooth settings on your host device and toggle Bluetooth off and then back on again.

If that doesn't help, try the Methods below:

**Method 1: Check that the correct audio profile is set as the default Windows sound profile on the host device.**The correct audio profile needs to be selected based on the type of audio being listed to optimize the sound.

On Windows

1. Select the audio icon in the Windows taskbar.
2. Select Headphones (Surface Headphones Stereo) if listening to music or select Headset (Surface Headphones Hands-Free) if making phone calls.

On Android and iOS, since audio can be heard from the host device in the headphones, the Surface Headphones profile is selected.

**Method 2: Check to see if the equalizer was changed to a setting that could cause the issue.**The equalizer could be changing the sound and causing the issue.

Reset the equalizer to the default Flat if it was changed.

On Windows

1. Open the Cortana app: Select the search box on your PC, select Devices, and then select Manage my Surface Headphones.
2. Scroll down to the Equalizer section and set Choose a preset to Flat.

On Apple iOS and Android

1. Open the Cortana app and select Devices> Devices > Surface Headphones > Equalizer.
2. Select Flat.

Method 3: Restart the app or audio source. This will help to reset the app in case there’s an issue with it.

Close the application that is being used as the audio source on the host device and then open it again.

Method 4: Turn the headphones off and then turn them back on. This will force the headphones to re-pair with the host device.

Press and release the power button to turn off the headphones. Then, press and release the power button to turn them back on.

Method 5: Restart the host device. Restarting may refresh any drivers or firmware that may be having issues.

On Windows, select Windows, selectPower, andthen selectRestart(not Shut down).

On Android, hold down the power button until you see options to turn off your device, and then select Restart.

On Apple iOS, hold down the power button until you see the slider to turn off the device, and then move the slider to turn off the device. After the device turns off, press the power button to turn it back on.

**Method 6: Check to see if there’s a firmware update available via the app.**Firmware updates resolve issues that may be related to this issue.

Use the app available for the host device to see if there’s a firmware update available:

• Cortana Device Setup app (Windows – US only)
• Cortana App (iOS/Android – US only)

For more information, see Update Surface Headphones.

**Method 7: Reset the headphones back to the factory settings.**Resetting the headphones back to factory settings will remove any previous Bluetooth connections on the headphones.

First, press and hold the power button for about 15 seconds, until you hear that your headphones have been reset to the factory defaults. You will then hear “You’re ready to pair,” and the headphones will be in pairing mode.

For more information, see Reset Surface Headphones.

Second, try to pair the headphones to the host device using the app.

On Windows

1. Select the search box on your PC, select Devices, and then select Get the App or Add a Device.
2. The Microsoft Store app will launch and go to the Cortana Device Setup app. Select Install if the app is not installed, and then select Launchafter the app is installed.
3. In the Cortana Device Setup app, follow the instructions to finish setting up your Surface Headphones with Cortana.

On Apple iOS and Android

1. Get the Cortana appfrom the app store if it is not already installed.
2. Open the Cortana app, sign in with your Microsoft account, and then select Devices > Devices > Add New Device .
3. Under “Surface Headphones,” select Set up, and then follow the instructions.

Method 8: Try to pair to another host device. Pairing to another device will isolate if the problem may be with the headphones or the host device.

If the issue occurs on the other host device, the problem is likely a hardware issue, and you should replace the headphones.

• If the issue does not occur on the other host device, check the host device for updates. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, escalate the case.

Hope that helps. Please keep us posted.

Regards,                                                                                                                 

KarenJune_F