my headphones don't work

Question

my headphones don't work

Rufus Bousfield 0

the left ear in my RIG 500 headphones works perfectly fine but my right ear has no audio at all. what should i do?

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-13T23:44:30.11+00:00
Hi, @Rufus Bousfield

Since only the right ear has no sound, first try the headphones on another device, such as a phone, another PC, or a game console.

Also, if your RIG 500 has a detachable cable, disconnect and firmly reconnect it at both ends.

If issue still persists, to help narrow down the issue:

Does the right ear also have no sound when connected to another device?

If you have another pair of headphones, do both sides work normally on this Windows 11 PC?

Did this start suddenly, or did anything happen to the headset or cable beforehand?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

1 answer

Your answer

John Jefferson Doyon 86,980 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-08-13T23:44:30.11+00:00

Hi, @Rufus Bousfield

Since only the right ear has no sound, first try the headphones on another device, such as a phone, another PC, or a game console.

Also, if your RIG 500 has a detachable cable, disconnect and firmly reconnect it at both ends.

If issue still persists, to help narrow down the issue:

Does the right ear also have no sound when connected to another device?

If you have another pair of headphones, do both sides work normally on this Windows 11 PC?

Did this start suddenly, or did anything happen to the headset or cable beforehand?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Try these steps in order on Windows 11:

Check left/right balance
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Output, select the RIG 500 headphones.
- Go to Output settings > Volume.
- Make sure Left and Right are set to the same level, typically 100.
Make sure Mono audio is off
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- In Output, turn Mono audio Off.
Confirm the correct output device is selected
- Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
- Select the arrow next to the volume slider.
- Make sure audio is going to the headphones and not another output.
Check the headset and connection
- Inspect the headphone cable and plug for damage or a loose connection.
- If the PC has multiple 3.5 mm jacks, make sure the headset is in the correct audio output jack.
- If possible, unplug and reconnect the headset firmly.
Test the headphones on another device
- If the right side still has no sound on another device, the headset is likely faulty.
- If it works normally on another device, the issue is likely with the PC settings or audio driver.
Turn off audio enhancements
- Go to Start > Settings > Sound.
- In Output, select the headphones.
- Under Advanced settings, set Audio enhancements to Off.
Run the audio troubleshooter
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- In Audio, select Run.
Update or reinstall the audio driver
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
- Right-click the audio device and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
- If that does not help, uninstall the audio device and restart the PC so Windows reinstalls it automatically.
- Note: Save open work before restarting.

If the right ear still has no audio after balance is equal, Mono audio is off, and the headset fails on another device, the most likely cause is a hardware problem with the headphones.