Windows 11 keeps changing audio output.

This is not something you can "fix" this is a problem with the way windows is designed from what I can tell. The problem (for me anyway) is that all these monitors have audio over HDMI or whatever connection and so (for me) when a monitor with audio capability is connected windows automatically switches to it, by default and there is apparently no setting to disable this behavior.

Its so annoying to be completely honest. Why is it so hard to give us more control over this? Why cannot I not set it to not ever change the audio output device from a specific device (input and output) aka locked? - This would hold true unless for some reason that device became unavailable at which point it would default to the next best device. However, for this to be an actual good feature, is that if the original "locked device" became available again, in that situation it should automatically switch back to that device. I know this cannot be that hard to implement.

A lot of us use laptops and we move back and forth between workstations that have different peripherals so this is a constant annoyance. I'm sure the only hope is a 3rd party software that can make up for MS shortcomings on this issue. I do use a "tray-icon" software package called "audio switcher" which helps me deal with switching things back when they get messed up with out having to mess about in the system settings. It has a "favorite" feature but unfortunately it does not work how I just described.

The problem with the disconnecting / reconnecting devices is that even if you "uninstall" or "disable" the device to teach windows you do not want to use them, as soon as they get disconnected and reconnected any of those settings get tossed out with the bathwater and its treated as a completely new device so you cant even disable all of the "devices" you never want to use because of this...

PS. If you're not disconnecting and reconnecting monitors, some times just turning them off / standby / switching input is enough for the device to "disappear" from windows and that causes the whole "Oohhh! Shiny new audio device I should switch to!" issue to occur.

If the problem is that my monitors go to sleep and Windows switches outputs because of that, then that is a huge issue. My monitors go to sleep when I turn my pc off, and that is normal behaviour. They don't sleep or turn off when the computer is powered on.

When I set something to 'don't allow' then Windows should really just listen to that. Isn't there any way to make Windows do this?

I am having the same issue - when my computer "sleeps" sounds switch from a monitor speaker to the laptop speaker (sound is 3x louder that the monitor speaker). It so frustrating that this cannot be resolved by MS. I have music play on the monitor speaker and notifications play on the laptop speaker. It was not easy finding the menu to set this up. BUT my greatest frustration right now is output being switched in sleep mode.

MS when are you going to fix this issue? This was never an issue with Windows 10.

I also have the same issue all new Audio devices just automatically set themselves as new default when they get connected or get turned on which is driving me crazy.
Everytime I start my pc and my Microphone driver/software is starting it set as default and everytime my TV goes into sleep and wakes up it set itself as new device and

EVEN DISABLING THOSE COMPLETELY DOESNT DO ANYTHING

Or you just want to play a game connect a playstation5 controller to it boom new audio and mic set as default which is just super dumb.