AUX Speakers and USB Headset - Issues Ensue!

Okay, I have had 3.5mm audio speakers and headset/mike combo forever, along with an AB switch so that I can go between them on Windows 10. Worked great. But when my headphones cracked, I got a new set with a USB connector, and its own driver software. I unplugged the AB switch at that point.

I plugged it in, and Win10 downloaded the software. I set the audio to use that, and it's *great*. But... It's still not speakers, and wearing serious headphones for hours is tedious. So I figured I'd plug the speakers back in without the AB switch.

Now, I can have the speakers if I unplug the USB headset, but not if I leave it in. WTF? I've tried a number of different settings. If I have the USB plugged in, it will take audio from the RealTek drivers, or it's own driver. But it won't let me send sound to the speakers.

Do I just need to get a new set of USB speakers and another AB box for USB format? Or is there a way to make these different hardware types and audio sources coexist in Win 10?

You have to change the default playback under Sound Settings to the Analog Out on the motherboard (or sound card)

I have a USB headset and analog speakers, and switch between them using the method GG is talking about. I also use a little utility called SoundSwitch which allows me to set a hotkey for rotating between the two.

Right-click on the volume icon in your notification tray. Then click Playback Devices, and you'll see this...

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/gth7nj1.jpg)

That's where you set a default output device.

I did that, Lou, makes no difference.

When I look at mine, it says "Speakers - HyperX Cloud Revolver S", which is the *headphone* driver. It does not differentiate between the speakers and the headphones, in other words. Their is no listed entry for headphones.

Robear wrote:

I did that, Lou, makes no difference.

When I look at mine, it says "Speakers - HyperX Cloud Revolver S", which is the *headphone* driver. It does not differentiate between the speakers and the headphones, in other words. Their is no listed entry for headphones.

I renamed that output and changed its icon manually as it originally said speakers. There should be two speaker outputs listed for you. One being for the headphones, and the other for your built-in output. That's unless the driver for the headphones is somehow disabling the built-in automatically. You might want to change (edit again... I just trailed off here? Heh.)

EDIT: If you right-click inside the list of devices, you should be able to select options to "Show disabled devices" and "Show disconnected devices". I have both of those enabled.

Okay, that really helped, Lou. I think the problem was on my end. I don't like to "set default" if, you know, it's not going to *be* the default, but that just means "use it now" in this case. (GG got it first, but the renaming and checking the output really helped.)

Thanks everyone!

Good deal. If you want an easy, free hotkey method to go between each use soundswitch. I use Ctrl+F11 to swap which one is enabled.

Soundswitch or not, one thing to be aware of: Some games "lock on" to a single output and won't change unless the game is restarted. Fortnite and Minecraft do that, for example. Others are fine with swapping the default to something else while they're running. I guess some engines don't maintain that level of awareness of what the OS is using.

Im Westen, nichts neues.

Solved the problem with an inexpensive Dell AC511 USB sound bar.