Many users say that their speakers don’t work, even though their headphones do.
Such audio issues necessitate a thorough examination of all possible causes. Here, we will discuss all the potential reasons for this issue and how you can resolve it in no time. So, without further ado, let’s start the discussion.
Suppose you cannot listen from your speakers, but your headphones are working fine. In that case, it is mainly due to hardware issues, unsupported speakers, wrong setting configurations, the wrong default audio output selection, application conflict, muted speaker volume, or plug-and-play priority.
Moreover, if your audio settings conflict with your speakers, this will lead to no audio in your speakers after unplugging the headphones. In this case, you must use audio management applications like Realtek Audio Manager and FX Sound Booster.
We often completely focus on software-related issues and problems, but our hardware must also be checked. For example, mismatched hardware configurations or drivers may cause audio issues in your system in some cases.
Here are a few major reasons for this issue:
Damaged Speaker Pins: We often don’t pay attention to the speaker audio jack. However, you will face this audio issue if the speaker’s audio jack is damaged.
Wrong Speaker Cable Connections: If you have recently cleaned your speakers and this error occurred after cleaning, you might have connected them wrongly. There are individual jacks for the cables used for audio output and input.
Wrong Speaker Configurations: These speakers should be the default output device after disconnecting your headphones. If this setting is not correct, then you won’t be able to hear from the speakers.
Unsupported Hertz: This is the main issue if your speakers are huge and you use Windows audio drivers. Windows audio drivers can support a certain frequency.
Bluetooth Device: Sometimes, a Bluetooth device is connected to our computer. Whenever we disconnect our headphones, this device gets connected automatically. Hence, your speakers don’t work.
How To Fix Windows 10 Headphones Work, But The Speakers Don’t
Plug & Play Priority
Plug & Play priority specifies which device should be treated first when connected to your PC. Priority is always given to the port in this arrangement. By default, it prioritizes headphones and disables speakers whenever you connect them.
The same happens when you unplug your headphones; the audio source automatically switches back to speakers. Again, Windows has this feature as a built-in feature. Due to this feature, you don’t need to select the output audio device every time.
If you have multiple devices connected, you can test them all by unplugging them one at a time to see which causes the problem. It is because the windows may switch to those devices once the headphones have been removed.
Select Default Output Device
The default audio device is the device that gives you audio after all other audio output devices are unplugged from your computer system. In a laptop, the default device is automatically selected, which is the laptop’s speakers. But if you are still not getting the audio after unplugging your headphones, do this:
- Open the Windows search bar and search “Sound Settings,” and open the program.
- Now select “Sound Control Panel” from the right-side options.
- Open the “Playback Tab” in the sound panel and see all attached devices.
- Select your speakers and press the “Set Default” button from the bottom of that window.
- Your speakers are now the default audio output device. Once you unplug the headphones, your speakers will automatically act as default speakers.
Audio Troubleshooting
Many Windows functions often catch bugs and errors. These bugs and errors can cause audio issues. So, if you are facing such issues, you can launch audio troubleshooting, which will detect the audio problem and give you all possible solutions. Troubleshooting can also automatically resolve issues.
- Open the start menu, search “Troubleshoot Settings,” and open these settings.
- Now navigate to the “Additional Troubleshooters” and open the settings.
- Here, troubleshoot two major audio input and output devices, Playing Audio and Recording Audio.
Turn Off the Bluetooth Device
Bluetooth devices are wireless and can connect to the paired device automatically. You must either turn off the Bluetooth or unpair it from the device to turn off this feature. If a paired Bluetooth device is turned on, your computer may detect and connect to it.
When you plug in your headphones, Windows treats them as a plug-and-play priority audio device by default. As a result, you have no sound from the speakers, but the headphones work fine when connected. Here’s how to turn off your Bluetooth device from your laptop or PC.
- Open the Windows search bar, search “Bluetooth and other devices,” and press enter.
- You will be redirected to Bluetooth settings. Here, you will see a turn-off and on the button. If it’s blue, your Bluetooth is turned on; if it’s not blue, then Bluetooth is off.
Check Volume Level or Mute Option
First of all, you have to check the volume of your computer. If you have accidentally decreased the volume or muted it, you cannot listen to any audio from that muted device. But when you connect the headphones, they will unmute automatically.
- To check the volume level, open your Windows search bar and type “Sound Settings.”
- Once you open the sound settings windows, select “Sound Control Panel.”
- Go to “Playback Tab” and right-click on your default speaker. Go to properties from the file.
- Then, go to the “Levels” tab and see if the speaker is muted or the volume level is low. Increase the volume level to unmute it.
Check Volume Mixer
In Windows 10, a “Volume Mixer” feature allows you to increase or decrease the volume of individual apps. This feature facilitates multitasking, and each task requires separate audio. You can mute the game audio using the volume mixer, like playing games while listening to songs.
- Navigate to the taskbar and right-click the speaker icon from there.
- Now navigate to “Volume Mixer” on the list and click to open it.
- Here, you will see all applications that are using the audio resources. Mute the application you want by dragging the volume downwards.
Roll Back Audio Driver
Sometimes, updating is not the best option for adapting. It may lead to more severe audio problems if not done properly. Updating your audio drivers could also reset your previous audio settings, which means your speakers can’t connect to sound signals or respond to them.
To avoid such problems, you have a wonderful Roll Back Driver option for each driver in Windows 10. It is useful when Windows encounters bugs and errors due to newly updated drivers. Here’s how to revert your drivers:
- Right-click the speaker icon on the lower right corner of the Windows taskbar and select “Sound” from the list.
- Once in the “Sound settings,” right-click on your audio device in the playback section and go to properties.
- Go to generals from the device’s properties and select the driver “Properties.”
- Go to the “Driver” section from the properties and select the “Roll Back Driver” option.
What could go wrong more than using the incorrect pin configurations or speaker wire? Most speakers have two speaker units and one equalizer to control volume, treble, and bass. Specific pins at output points on the equalizer connect the speakers to the equalizer.
Similarly, specific pins from the input to the computer connect the equalizer to the computer. If these pins are not connected properly, like you have connected the output pins to the input points, you will be unable to hear audio from your speakers. but
Compatible Audio Drives
Incompatible audio drivers don’t support the digital signals coming from your speakers. In addition, these drivers don’t support the frequency of some good speakers. It is also one of the major reasons you get no sound from your speakers. The headphones work fine.
You can install the Realtek audio manager and FX Sound Booster. These applications are great for managing audio devices and settings. They can solve most of your audio-related issues with just a few clicks. So, if you are facing audio-related issues, try these applications.
Conclusion
You will hear audio from the default playback device when using both speakers and headphones simultaneously. However, if you are experiencing problems with no audio from speakers but working headphones, we have provided a complete step-by-step guide of various effective methods. We hope this guide will help you resolve your issue.
Hey, I’m Hammad. I have been writing for several years now and have amassed a wealth of experience within my field. My focus is on technology and gaming, two areas that I am highly knowledgeable about. Also, I’m writer for iPhonEscape.com and CPUGPUnerds.com as well and where I have written over 350 articles.