Bluetooth headphones sound muffled and bad on Windows PC

If your Bluetooth headphones’ sound is muffled and bad, the solutions provided in this article will help you fix the issue. Multiple factors affect the sound quality of your Bluetooth headphones, like corrupted drivers, Bluetooth interference issues, etc. It is also possible that your Bluetooth headphones do not support high-quality audio.

Bluetooth headphones sound muffled and bad on Windows PC

Use the following fixes if your Bluetooth headphones’ sound is muffled and bad.

Run the required troubleshooters
Check if the Handsfree profile is set as the default in Sound settings (if applicable)
Connect your Bluetooth headphones to another computer (if available)
Update, roll back, or reinstall your Bluetooth headphones driver
Disable Handsfree Telephony
Change the audio format
Restart the Bluetooth Support Service
Disable Audio Enhancements
Check for interference issues

Below, we have explained all these fixes in detail.

1] Run the required troubleshooter

Troubleshooters help fix the issues on a Windows computer. For different issues, there are different troubleshooters. You are experiencing sound quality issues on your Bluetooth headphones, hence, running the following troubleshooters can help:

2] Check if the Handsfree profile is set as the default in Sound settings (if applicable)

If your Bluetooth headphone supports the Handsfree feature, Windows 11/10 shows two different sound profiles for your headphones. These headphone profiles are displayed as two different devices in the Sound settings. If the Handsfree profile for your Bluetooth headphones is set as the default, you will experience low sound quality from your headphones. To fix this problem, follow the steps provided below:

Open the Control Panel.
Type sound in the search bar of the Control panel.
Select Sound from the search results.
When the Sound settings window appears, check if your headphone is shown as the following two different devices under the Playback tab:
- Hands-Free AG Audio
- Stereo
If yes, right-click on the Stereo option and select Set as Default Device.

3] Connect your Bluetooth headphones to another computer (if available)

You can also do this. If another computer is available, connect your headphones to it and check if you experience bad sound quality or not. This will let you know whether your Bluetooth headphones support high-quality audio or if the issue lies somewhere else.

4] Update, roll back, or reinstall your Bluetooth headphones driver

Bad drivers are the main cause of problems with peripherals. You should update, roll back, or reinstall your Bluetooth headphones driver. First, try to roll back your Bluetooth headphones driver. If the Rollback option is greyed out, then update the Bluetooth driver. You can download the Bluetooth driver from the official website of the manufacturer.

To reinstall the driver, you have to uninstall the driver of your Bluetooth headphones via the Device Manager. After doing that, restart your computer. Windows will automatically install the missing driver on restart.

5] Disable Handsfree Telephony

Handsfree Telephony is the feature on Windows 11/10 computers that enables the supported audio devices to be used hands-free during a call. This feature is useful when you are using your laptop while traveling. Sometimes, the Handsfree Telephone feature can cause audio issues on an audio device. If you do not attend calls on your computer, this feature is not useful for you. You can disable it and see if this step changes the sound quality of your Bluetooth headphones or not.

The following steps will help you disable Handsfree Telephony for your Bluetooth headphones:

Open Windows 11 Settings.
Go to “Bluetooth & devices > Devices.”
Click More devices and printer settings. This will open the Devices and Printers page in the Contro Panel.
Right-click on your Bluetooth headphones and select Properties.
Go to the Services tab and deselect the Handsfree Telephony checkbox.
Click Apply and then click OK.

On Windows 10, you can open the Devices and Printers page from the Control Panel.

6] Change the audio format

You can try different audio formats for your Bluetooth headphones and see which one fixes the issue. To change your Bluetooth headphone audio format, follow the instructions written below:

Open Control Panel.
Change View by mode to Large icons.
Select Sound.
Under the Playback tab, right-click on your headphones and select Properties.
Go to the Advanced tab.
Click on the drop-down and select another audio format.
Click Apply and then click OK.

Try all available audio formats one by one.

7] Restart the Bluetooth Support Service

This service supports the discovery and association of remote Bluetooth devices. You can try restarting this service and see if it helps. The steps to do this are as follows:

Open the Services Manager.
Locate the Bluetooth Support Service.
Right-click on it and select Restart.

8] Disable Audio Enhancements

Audio Enhancements include Bass Boost, Headphone Virtualization, and Loudness Equalization. These enhancements are disabled by default. You can enable them to boost the lowest frequencies on your audio device. In some cases, Audio Enhancements can lower the sound quality. Hence, disabling the Audio Enhancements can fix the issue.

If you enabled the Audio Enhancements on your Bluetooth headphones, disable all of them. You will find the Audio Enhancements option in the Sound Properties.

9] Check for interference issues

Interference issues can also cause sound distortion on Bluetooth headphones. Wi-Fi signals can cause interference issues with Bluetooth. If your system is connected to the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and your system is near the router, Bluetooth interference can occur. To check this, take your system away from the WiFi router or turn off your router. Other things that can cause Bluetooth interference are microwave ovens, glass, etc.

Read: Bluetooth Speaker Volume Control not working in Windows.

Why do my Bluetooth headphones sound distorted?

There can be many reasons why your Bluetooth headphones sound is distorted, like corrupted headphone driver, Audio Enhancements, etc. In some cases, a Windows Update can cause this problem. If the Handsfree Telephony feature is enabled, it can also be the cause of this problem.

Is Wired better than Bluetooth?

Wired headphones can be a better option as compared to Bluetooth headphones because of a few reasons. Wired headphones do not have interference issues, you need not worry about batteries, they may offer better sound quality than Bluetooth headphones, etc.