Connecting headphones to a windows 7 computer. Connecting headphones to a computer. Configuring the simultaneous operation of speakers and headphones

For a long time, headphones have become an integral part of the life of every modern person. Usually, headphones are put on to listen to music or podcasts on the way to work or school, but what if you need to connect them at home to an electronic computing machine? If they have a microphone, then communication in Skype will become more comfortable. Fans of computer games will also appreciate the idea, because you can chat with other gamers or dive deeper into the atmosphere of gambling. All in all, you get quite a few benefits. How to connect headphones to a laptop will be discussed in this article.

In headphones, the volume and sound quality are much better

And let's start by getting to know the connectors through which the connection takes place. Each computer has a headphone jack (usually colored green) and a microphone (colored pink). Also utilized is the blue connector, which is called "Line-in", through which you can also connect speakers. As you already understood, computer headphones have a double wire with two connectors: for headphones and for a microphone. Of course, it is possible to connect the microphone as an independent device. On laptops everything is the same, however, some models may not have a separate microphone jack. This does not mean that you will not be able to use it on a laptop, you just need to purchase a headset that will connect through a single combo jack.

Having figured out how and where to connect the headphones, we will consider what to do if there is no sound after connecting. The point here may be in the sound card drivers, which for some reason were installed incorrectly or out of order. You can check this in the device manager. To go there, right-click on "My Computer" and select "Manage". In the device manager, find the item "Audio outputs and audio inputs", there should be no warning signs, such as an exclamation mark. If they are present, this indicates that the driver is not installed or is not working correctly.

The problem may also be in the sound setting in the Windows system... Be sure to check that the volume is not set to minimum. This can be done by clicking on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the screen, on the taskbar. Another way is to go through the control panel to "Sound" and adjust the sliders there. There you can also select a device for playing sound or recording speech. These settings may not change after you plug in the headset, so you have to do it manually.

If you want to connect both speakers and headphones at the same time, so that you do not have to constantly disconnect one of these devices, you can connect the speakers through the "Line-in". If there is only one jack, buy a special headphone splitter. This adapter will allow you to connect speakers and a headset through a single input.

For the most cutting edge users, let's take a look at how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a laptop. First, make sure your PC is equipped with a Bluetooth module and the driver for it is installed. This can be done through the "Task Manager", in the item "Bluetooth radios". Now let's move on to connecting the headset. Click on the Bluetooth icon on the right side of the taskbar and select "Add device" from the menu. In the window that opens, you will see a list of all devices available for connection. It remains only to click on the line containing the name of your headphones, and click "Next". The system may ask for a password, in this case, enter the default code: 0000. In case of any problems or errors, you can correct them in the same way, as discussed above, namely through the "Sound" tab in the control panel.

As you can see for yourself, there is nothing difficult in connecting headphones to a computer, however, sometimes the operating system or drivers may not work as we would like, which may cause some difficulties that you now know how to fix. Leave feedback in the comments about whether this article was helpful, and write about your experience setting up audio devices on your computer.

Many users use headphones when working with a computer or listening to music on it. But not everyone knows how to set them up correctly. Let's figure out how to produce optimal setting this sound device on a PC running Windows 7.

After completing the procedure for connecting the headphones to the computer, in order for them to reproduce high-quality sound, it is imperative to configure this equipment. This can be done both through the program for controlling the audio card, and by resorting only to the built-in Windows 7 toolkit. Let's find out how to configure the headphone parameters on the PC using the indicated methods.

Method 1: Sound Card Manager

First, let's figure out how to configure the headphones using the audio card manager. Let's describe the algorithm of actions using the example of the program for the VIA HD adapter.

  1. Click "Start" and move to "Control Panel".
  2. Go to item "Equipment and Sound".
  3. Open "VIA HD".
  4. The VIA HD Audio Manager launches. All further configuration steps will be performed in it. But when you turn it on for the first time, you may not see the headphones at all in the interface of this software, even if in fact they are connected, but only the speakers. To activate the display of the desired equipment, click on the item "Advanced options".
  5. Then move the switch from the position "Redirected earpiece" in position "Independent earpiece" and click "OK".
  6. The system will update the devices.
  7. After that, in the VIA HD interface in the block "Playback devices" the headphone icon is displayed.
  8. Click the button "Advanced mode".
  9. Go to the section "Earphone" if the window was open in another.
  10. In chapter "Volume control" the volume of the sound in the headphones is adjusted. This is done by dragging the slider. We recommend dragging it to the right to the limit. This will mean the loudest sound possible. And then already adjust the volume level to an acceptable value for yourself directly through the playback programs: media player, messenger, etc.
  11. But if necessary, you can also adjust the volume level of each headphone separately. To do this, click on the element "Synchronize volume left and right".
  12. Now, by dragging the right and left sliders located above this element, you can adjust the volume of the corresponding headphone.
  13. Go to the section "Speaker parameters and test"... Here the volume leveling is started and the sound of each headphone is tested separately. To do this, you need to immediately activate the corresponding button, and then click on the element "Test all speakers"... After that, the sound will be played in turn, first in one earphone, and then in the second. Thus, you can compare and evaluate the sound level in each of them.
  14. In the tab "Default format" it is possible to specify the level of the sampling rate and the value of the bit resolution by clicking on the corresponding blocks. It should be remembered that the higher you set the indicators, the better the sound should be, but the more system resources are used to play it. So try different options. If, when choosing a high level, you do not notice a significant increase in sound quality, then this means that your headphones are in their own way. technical specifications cannot provide it. In this case, it makes no sense to set high parameters - it is quite possible to restrict ourselves to those with the setting of which the actual output quality is the best.
  15. After switching to the tab "Equalizer" it is possible to adjust the sound timbres. But to do this, first click on the element "Turn on"... The tone sliders will become active, and you can set them to those positions that achieve the desired sound quality. When the infinitely adjustable function is enabled, you can change the positions of all sliders by moving only one of them. The rest will move depending on the initial position relative to each other.
  16. You can also choose one of seven preset patterns from the list "Default parameters" depending on the genre of music you listen to. In this case, the sliders will line up in accordance with the selected option.
  17. In the tab "Surround Audio" you can adjust the sound through the headphones to match the external sound background. But, given the features of the device we are describing, in particular, its tight fit to the ear openings, in most cases the use of this function is superfluous. However, if you wish, you can activate it by clicking on the element "Turn on"... Next from the dropdown list "Advanced options" or by clicking on the appropriate icon below, select the most suitable option for the environment. The sound will automatically adjust to the selected option.
  18. In the tab "Room correction" the only thing that is needed is to make sure that the element "Turn on" has not been activated. This is due to the same factor as the settings of the previous function: the distance between the user and the sound source is virtually zero, which means that no correction is needed.

Method 2: Operating system tools

You can also customize the headphones using the built-in tools of the operating system. But this option still provides fewer opportunities than the previous one.

  1. Go to section "Control panels" entitled "Equipment and Sound" and click "Sound".
  2. Find the name of the headphones you want from the names of the connected devices. Please note that there is a postscript under their name "Default device"... If you find any other inscription, right-click on the name and select the item Use as default.
  3. After the required postscript is displayed under the name, select this element and click "Properties".
  4. Go to the section "Levels".
  5. Set the audio playback volume to the maximum value. To do this, drag the slider all the way to the right. Unlike VIA HD Audio Deck, you cannot configure each headphone separately using the built-in system tools, that is, they will have identical parameters in any case.
  6. Further, if you need to make equalizer settings, go to the section "Improvements"(or "Enhancements"). Check the checkbox "Enable Sound ..."... Then click "More Settings".
  7. By moving the sliders to different positions, adjust the tone that best matches the content you are listening to using the same algorithm as it was written when using the VIA HD. After completing the setting, just close the EQ window. Parameter changes will be saved.
  8. Here, just like in VIA HD, there is an opportunity to select one of the preset options via the drop-down list "Preset", which will greatly facilitate the solution of the task for people who are poorly versed in the intricacies of tone tuning.

  9. Then return to the main headphone properties window and navigate to the section "Additionally".
  10. Expand the dropdown list "Default format"... Here you can choose the optimal combination of bit depth and sampling rate. When choosing an option, proceed from the same recommendations as for VIA HD: there is no point in choosing resource-intensive combinations if your headphones are not capable of operating at high parameters. In order to listen to the result obtained, press "Examination".
  11. We advise you to uncheck all checkboxes in the block "Exclusive mode" so that when you run multiple audio programs at the same time, you can receive audio playback from all active applications.
  12. After all the settings in the properties window are made, click Apply and "OK".

You can adjust the headphone parameters using both the sound card manager and the internal functions of Windows 7. It should be noted that the first option provides more options for adjusting the sound than the second.

Often there is a situation when the headphones do not work when connected to a computer, but speakers or other acoustic devices reproduce sound normally. Let's look at the causes of this problem and try to find solutions.

Before determining how to resume sound playback in headphones connected to a Windows 7 PC, you need to determine the causes of this phenomenon, and they can be quite varied:

  • Breakage of the headphones themselves;
  • Malfunctions in the PC hardware (sound adapter, audio output connector, etc.);
  • Incorrect system settings;
  • Lack of required drivers;
  • The presence of a virus infection of the OS.

In some cases, the choice of a way to solve the problem also depends on which connector you connect the headphones to:

  • Mini jack on the front panel;
  • Mini jack on the back, etc.

Now let's move on to describing the options for solving this problem.

Method 1: Eliminate hardware failures

Since the first two reasons do not directly affect the environment of the Windows 7 operating system, but are of a more general nature, we will not dwell on them in detail. Let's just say that if you do not have the appropriate technical skills, then in order to repair a failed element, it is better to call a master or replace faulty parts or a headset.

You can check whether the headphones are broken or not by connecting another acoustic device of this class to the same jack. If the sound is reproduced normally, then the point is in the headphones themselves. You can also connect headphones suspected of malfunctioning to another computer. In this case, the absence of sound will indicate a breakdown, and if it is still reproduced, then you need to look for the cause in another. Another sign of a failed equipment is the presence of sound in one earpiece and its absence in the other.

In addition, there may be a situation where there is no sound when headphones are connected to the jacks on the front panel of the computer, but when connected to the rear panel the equipment works normally. This is often because the jacks are simply not plugged into the motherboard. Then you need to open the system unit and connect the wire from the front panel to the "motherboard".

Method 2: Change Windows Settings

One of the reasons why the headphones connected to the front panel do not work may be incorrectly set Windows settings, in particular, disabling the specified type of device in the parameters.


Method 3: unmute sound

It is also a very common situation when there is no sound in the headphones simply because it is turned off or set to the minimum value in the Windows settings. In this case, you need to increase its level at the corresponding output.


Method 4: Install sound card drivers

Another reason for the lack of sound in the headphones is the presence of outdated or incorrectly installed sound drivers. Perhaps the drivers simply do not match the model of your sound card, and therefore there may be problems with the transmission of sound through the headphones, in particular, those connected through the front audio connectors of the computer. In this case, you should install their current version.

The easiest way to accomplish the specified task is to install special application to update drivers, such as DriverPack Solution, and scan your computer with it.

But it is possible to perform the procedure necessary for us without installing third-party software.

  1. Click "Start"... Please select "Control Panel".
  2. Now click on the name "System and safety".
  3. In the block "System" click on the inscription "Device Manager".
  4. Shell opens "Device Manager"... In the left part of it, where the names of the equipment are presented, click on the item "Sound, video and game devices".
  5. A list of devices of this class will open. Find the name of your sound adapter (card). If you do not know it exactly, and there will be more than one name in the category, then pay attention to the paragraph where the word is present "Audio"... Click PKM for this position and choose the option "Update drivers ...".
  6. The driver update window opens. From the suggested options for performing the procedure, select "Automatically search for updated drivers".
  7. A search will be made on the World Wide Web for the necessary drivers for the sound adapter, and they will be installed on the computer. The sound in the headphones should now play normally again.

But this method does not always help, since sometimes standard ones are installed on the computer. Windows drivers, which may not work correctly with the existing sound adapter. This situation is especially common after reinstalling the OS, when the proprietary drivers are replaced with standard ones. Then you need to apply a course of action that is different from the method described above.


If you are using USB headphones, it is possible that you need to install an additional driver for them. It should be supplied on disc along with the acoustic device itself.

In addition, some sound cards are bundled with software to manage them. In this case, if you do not have such an application installed, then you should find it on the Internet, according to the brand of your sound adapter, and install it on your computer. After that, in the settings of this software, find the sound adjustment parameters and turn on the playback feed to the front panel.

Method 5: Remove the virus

Another reason why the sound in the headphones connected to the computer may disappear is the infection of the latter with viruses. This is not the most common cause of this problem, but, nevertheless, it should not be completely ruled out.

At the slightest sign of infection, you need to scan your PC using a special healing utility. For example, you can use Dr.Web CureIt. If viral activity is detected, follow the advice displayed in the antivirus software shell.

There are quite a few reasons why headphones connected to a PC with Windows 7 operating system may suddenly stop functioning properly. To find the appropriate way to fix the problem, you first need to find its source. Only after that, adhering to the recommendations given in this article, you will be able to establish the correct operation of the acoustic headset.

I recently bought myself Bluetooth headphones, and decided to write a small instruction on how to connect them to a laptop or a computer on which Windows 10 is installed. In fact, everything is very simple there. And if all is well, then the connection process takes less than a minute. But there are times when something doesn't work out. For example, you can't turn on Bluetooth in Windows 10, your computer can't see wireless headphones, the connection does not pass, the sound is not played, etc. Therefore, in this manual I will show you how to connect Bluetooth headphones to a computer. And if something does not go according to plan, some error appears, or other problems arise, then you describe your case in the comments. I will try to help everyone.

Bluetooth is much better in Windows 10 than in previous versions. The system itself almost always automatically finds and installs the Bluetooth adapter driver, understands which device you have connected to the computer, and how to "communicate" with it. After connecting my JBL E45BT headphones to an ASUS laptop via Bluetooth, I realized that at least something in Windows 10 is working stably.

In the settings of the playback devices, I set everything up in such a way that after turning off the power to the headphones, the sound automatically goes to the speakers. And after turning on the headphones, in just a couple of seconds they automatically connect to the laptop and the sound goes to the headphones. That is, once I set up the connection, and then the headphones are connected automatically. I will also write about this at the end of the article. You may find this information useful.

What do you need to connect Bluetooth headphones to a computer or laptop?

There are several nuances:

  • If you have a laptop, it most likely has a built-in Bluetooth adapter. It is very easy to check by looking at the specifications of your laptop. All you need to do is install the driver on the Bluetooth adapter if Windows 10 hasn't installed it by itself. Most of the time, the driver is installed automatically. In the options, in the "Devices" section, you should have a "Bluetooth and other devices" tab. I wrote about this in more detail in the article:.
  • If you have a stationary computer (PC), then most likely there is no Bluetooth on it. Although, if I'm not mistaken, some new motherboards have a built-in adapter. If it is not there, then you will not be able to connect the headphones. But there is a solution, you can buy a USB Bluetooth adapter. How to choose it, I wrote in the article. It connects to the USB port of the computer, the driver is installed on it (automatically, from a disc included, or from the Internet), and you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to your PC. The price for such adapters is low. Like a pack of good chips 🙂 Of course, there are also expensive models.

And of course, we need the headphones themselves, which can be connected via the Bluetooth connection. This is usually written on the packaging, specifications, etc.

Connecting Bluetooth headphones to Windows 10

I think it's best to do everything step by step. This will make it more understandable, and it's easier for me to write instructions.

1 First you need to turn on Bluetooth on our laptop or PC. If not already enabled. If enabled, there should be a blue icon on the notification bar. And if it is not there, then you can open the notification center and turn it on by clicking on the corresponding button.

But you don't have to do this, but go straight to the parameters and activate it there.

2 Open Start and select Settings. There go to the section called "Devices". See screenshot.

3 On the "Bluetooth and other devices" tab, turn on wireless adapter (if disabled), and click on "Add Bluetooth or other device".

4 Switch on the headphones. The indicator should flash blue (this means they are searchable)... If not flashing, the headphones may be connected to another device. Disable them. Or find the button with the "Bluetooth" icon on the case and click on it (you may need to press and hold)... It all depends on the specific model.

5 In the window on the computer, select "Bluetooth" and our headphones should appear in the list of available devices. Just click on them.

The status should be "Connected", or "Connected voice, music".

6 Our headphones also appear in the list of connected devices. If you click on them, then you can disconnect, or connect, as well as delete them. Then you can reconnect, as I showed above.

After turning on the power of the headphones, they should automatically connect to the computer. This is how it works for me, without any additional settings. But the sound may not automatically go to the headphones. It needs to be switched in the control of playback devices. Now I will tell you how to fix it. Make sure that after turning on the headphones, the sound from the computer is automatically played through them. And after disconnecting - through the speakers, or the built-in speakers of the laptop.

We go to "Playback Devices".

Update. After another windows updates 10 settings have changed slightly. To open the menu shown below, after right-clicking, select "Sounds" and go to the "Playback" tab.

Or select "Open Sound Options" from the menu and set the required device for audio input and output in the options.

It will choose your Bluetooth headphones as an output device, or an input (if you have headphones with a microphone and you need it).

That's all. When I turn on my headphones, they automatically connect and music starts playing through them. When I turn it off, the speakers sound. Very comfortably.

Possible connection problems

Let's take a look at a few common problems:

  • Problem: there is no Bluetooth button in the computer settings and there is no section in the parameters. Solution: you need to install the driver on the bluetooth adapter. Check if it is in the device manager. You also need to make sure that the adapter itself is on your computer. On stationary computers, as a rule, they are not. You need to use external ones that are connected via USB.
  • Problem: the computer cannot find the headphones. Do not connect to a computer. Solution: make sure the headphones are turned on and searchable. The indicator on the headphones should flash blue. Disable them and enable them again. They should also be located near the computer. You can try connecting them to another device. For example, to a smartphone.
  • Problem: headphones are connected to the computer, but there is no sound. Do not play sound. Solution: set them to "Use as default" in Windows settings 10. As I showed above.

In some cases, you may need to install drivers, or a program that can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website for your Bluetooth stereo headset. In my case, there were no problems, everything works like a clock. If something doesn't work out for you, write about it in the comments.

Many laptop models already have built-in microphone and audio speakers. The capabilities of the sound card of the laptop allow you to additionally connect other sound external devices. Connecting the headset to a laptop is much easier than to a computer, there is no need to install drivers and configure devices. However, sometimes users have difficulty connecting them.

First, take a look at the outer side panel of the laptop. The sound card on it has two line outputs for connecting a microphone and headphones. They can be marked with a color, but more often with a corresponding pictogram. If the marking on the input is green, then this is the headphone input. The headphone plug is also marked in green. Grasp the plug by the housing and insert it into the jack marked with the headphone symbol or green. When connecting headphones, it is not necessary to turn off the laptop, the main thing is not to touch the connector with your hand. Connect the microphone to the pink connector on the laptop video card or to the headphone icon. The headphone plug is also marked in pink. Both devices are connected and ready to go.


V operating system Windows 7 setting up audio recording and playback is quite simple. Follow the sequence of actions: "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Hardware and Sound" - "Sound". In the "Playback" tab, select "Speakers" double click mice. Now you can turn the device on and off, adjust the balance levels.


Adjust the volume for audio playback. To do this, do all the listed steps and select “Adjust volume” in the “Hardware and Sound” menu. Another way is to adjust the sound volume using the Speakers icon. It's in the "Taskbar" on the right side.


Set up your microphone. To do this, in the "Sound" menu, find the "Recording" tab. An enabled audio input and recording device is marked with a green check mark. Open the microphone settings panel by double-clicking on the marked Microphone device. Here you can adjust the signal levels, enable or disable the sound input device, set the desired volume level.


Complete the audio recording setup. Enter the "Main Menu" using the "Start" button. Then go to the "All Programs" - "Accessories" folder, find "Sound Recorder". Click the Start Recording button. Make a test recording with a microphone. Then, on the recording bar, click Stop Recording. You will be prompted to save the resulting sound file - select a folder to save the file, enter its name, then "Save". Check the recording with any installed player.


In other, earlier versions of Windows, connecting and configuring additional audio I / O devices is a little more complicated. To make settings similar to the previous steps, follow a series of actions: go to the "Standard" folder, find the "Entertainment" folder, in this folder you will need to manipulate the "Volume", "Recording", "Sound Recorder" menus.


When you connect speakers and a microphone to your laptop, you usually don't need to install drivers. When the device is connected to its socket, it will detect itself, and an inscription will appear on the screen on the right side that the microphone is detected and ready for use. If this does not happen, install the device driver from the disk that comes with it, or download it on the Internet.