Headphones play through speakers and headphones

John B 0 Reputation points
2026-09-19T23:35:24.1366667+00:00

When I have headphones plugged in, I expect the sound to only come through there. Instead, the sound comes through the headphones and the laptop speakers both. How can I stop the sound from coming through the speakers?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings
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  1. Ivan B 124.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-20T00:08:39.7166667+00:00

    Hi,

    What is the headphone model?

    Are you connecting via USB or the audio jack?

    Do you have any VB-Audio software or OBS installed?

    Thanks.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-19T23:35:36.1933333+00:00
    1. Unplug the headphones and plug them in again, then check whether the laptop switches output correctly.
    2. Select the Speakers icon on the taskbar, then select the arrow next to the volume slider and make sure the active output device is the headphones, not the laptop speakers.
    3. In Start > Settings > System > Sound, under Output, select the headphones. This sets them as the default output device in Windows 11.
    4. If sound still plays through both, turn off audio enhancements for that device:
      • Go to Start > Settings > Sound
      • Select the audio device in Output
      • Under Advanced settings, set Audio enhancements to Off
    5. Run the audio troubleshooter:
      • Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters
      • In Audio, select Run
    6. If the issue continues, check whether the laptop speakers are still being used as the selected output device instead of the headphones.
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