How do I resolve issues when my Sony headphones connect to Windows 11 but I can’t hear any sound?
I’ve been trying to use my Sony headphones with my Windows 11 laptop, but I’m running into a frustrating issue. Every time I connect them via Bluetooth, it shows that they’re connected successfully. However, I can’t seem to get any sound to come through the headphones. I’ve checked to make sure the volume is up and that the headphones are set as the default output device, but nothing seems to work. I’ve restarted my laptop and even tried reconnecting the headphones multiple times, but the problem persists. This is really puzzling because the headphones work perfectly fine with other devices. I don’t know if I’m missing something in the settings or if there’s a specific compatibility issue with Windows 11. Any insights on what might be causing this problem would be appreciated.
5 Answers
To address the issue where your Sony headphones connect to Windows 11 but don’t produce sound, you might want to try these solutions:
- Open the Settings app and navigate to System.
- Click on Sound and ensure your Sony headphones are selected as the default output device.
- Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and choose Open Volume Mixer. Ensure the volume levels are appropriate for your headphones.
- Verify that the correct Bluetooth drivers are installed. Visit the Sony website to download any necessary updates.
- Disable audio enhancements by right-clicking the sound icon, selecting Sounds, navigating to the Playback tab, right-clicking your headphones, and selecting Properties. Under the Enhancements tab, check Disable all enhancements.
I faced a similar issue with my Sony headphones on Windows 11. What worked for me was updating the Bluetooth driver:
- Press the Windows + X keys and select Device Manager.
- Locate Bluetooth, expand it, and right-click on your Sony headphones.
- Choose Update driver, then select Search automatically for updated driver software.
- After updating, restart your computer and attempt to reconnect the headphones.
Furthermore, check if your headphones require a firmware update through the Sony Headphones Connect app. Sometimes, outdated firmware can be the culprit behind compatibility issues.
I understand how frustrating this can be. One thing I found useful was resetting my headphones and re-pairing them with my computer. Here’s how I did it:
- Turn off your headphones.
- Hold down the power button for about 7 seconds until you hear a beep. This resets the headphones.
- Go to the Bluetooth & devices section in Windows 11, remove the device, and then add it back again.
This process helped re-establish a proper connection for me. Also, check if there’s any interference from other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity, as they might be affecting the connection.
When my Sony headphones wouldn’t play sound on Windows 11 despite connecting, I found an obscure setting that fixed it:
- Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and choose Sounds.
- Navigate to the Communications tab and select Do nothing. Sometimes, Windows automatically reduces the volume of other sounds when it detects communications activity, which can cause issues.
Stumbling upon this by accident made a significant difference for me. Hopefully, this trick works for you as well!
In my experience, Windows 11 sometimes defaults to the wrong audio format, which can cause sound issues with headphones. Here’s what I did to fix it:
- Right-click the sound icon and choose Sounds.
- Go to the Playback tab, right-click your Sony headphones, and click Properties.
- Under the Advanced tab, adjust the default format to a different setting, such as 24-bit, 48000 Hz (Studio Quality).
Experimenting with various formats often resolves playback issues. It’s worth trying a few options to see if one of them solves your problem.