Windows 10 Audio Question

[app103]

I am not sure how much of this info is relevant, so I will provide it all.

• I have a Dell Precision M4800 laptop with Windows 10 Pro.
• I have this port replicator docking station.
• I have a set of external speakers plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack of the docking station.
• I have 2 sets of these wireless bluetooth headphones. (one to use while other is charging)

- When the speakers are plugged in, they become the default for sound.

- When either pair of headphones are connected while the speakers are plugged in, there is no sound through the headphones. Sound continues to come from the speakers, only.

- I must unplug the speakers for the headphones to work.

What I want to happen: When either pair of headphones are connected, Windows should prefer them over the speakers, automatically cut the sound from the speakers, and allow me to listen through the headphones. (without having to unplug the speakers)

Is there a way to make that happen?

[Deozaan]

I don't know how it will work with more than two devices, but in my experience, if I connect a wireless device and set it as my default speaker/output device, Windows will automatically swap audio to use that device when it is reconnected, and automatically go back to using the speakers when it is disconnected.

[4wd]

Same as Deo gets, only hardwired audio connection is HDMI to the monitor, an Amazon Echo Dot is my usual output device (over BT) but whenever I connect any of my BT headphones/earphones they then become the default output device.

Only when there is no BT device available will my system revert to HDMI.

So in order of output from lowest: HDMI->Echo (BT)->SoundPEATS TWS (L, R, or stereo) (BT)->MeeAudio Touch (BT)

[Shades]

You can swap between audio devices yourself. Not all applications handle that well.

Often, kids are parked behind a computer here and they usually end up watching a kids movie or something. And headphones/speakers almost always give connection issues, as Windows tries to figure out which audio device is currently active/desirable. This is kind of a problem on computers with more than one user account and where two users have different audio devices in use.

VLC allows you to switch between audio devices without problems. While Foobar and Potplayer offer the same switching options, more often than not you'll end up restarting the application before things are properly recognized. At least that is my anecdotal experience. What I mostly use is the onboard audio of a PC (no laptops here). Not all media players handle changes in audio device configuration that well and keep using the audio device that was active when the media player started up.

And unless something drastically changes, like unplugging the speakers, Windows and possibly the media player won't acknowledge that a different audio device must be used to play the audio.

I suspect that your currently installed audio drivers would be responsible. Perhaps it is even related to the adaptability of the audio hardware in your laptop that prevents the audio drivers to respond properly when audio device changes take place. It might even be as simple as getting better/different drivers (from the manufacturer) to help manage audio device changes automatically.

[app103]

Same as Deo gets, only hardwired audio connection is HDMI to the monitor, an Amazon Echo Dot is my usual output device (over BT) but whenever I connect any of my BT headphones/earphones they then become the default output device.

Only when there is no BT device available will my system revert to HDMI.

So in order of output from lowest: HDMI->Echo (BT)->SoundPEATS TWS (L, R, or stereo) (BT)->MeeAudio Touch (BT)

-4wd (January 30, 2020, 07:58 PM)

How/where do you do this in Windows?

[app103]

Nevermind, I figured it out, and it now works with both sets of BT headphones. 

(Control Panel->Sound->Playback)