Having the ability to use a pair of headphones with your Asus PC is sometimes an absolute necessity.
Whether you want to listen to music at work, make a group video call from a busy household, or want to watch and listen to a movie without disturbing others, ensuring your headphones are working is essential.
However, some users have found that they cannot get their headphones to work on their Asus PC, and in this article, we give you the solutions you need to fix the issues you’re facing.
1. Updating your Drivers (or Rolling them Back) can Fix Headphone Issues on Asus PCs
Drivers are fundamental when it comes to using headphones on your Asus PC.
There are many different types of drivers, but essentially, drivers allow peripherals such as headphones to be recognized by your computer and allow them to function together.
Learn.Microsoft.com explains this perfectly and states:
“(…) a driver is a software component that lets the operating system and a device communicate with each other.”
Your Asus PC will rely on audio drivers to allow communication between your headphones and the version of Windows that you are running. If, however, there is a problem with your driver, whether it be outdated or malfunctioning, your headphones may not work at all.
If you’ve been having problems connecting your headphones to your Asus PC, then it’s worth trying to update your driver.
Here’s How to Update your Audio Driver on Asus PC:
- Open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key.
- Type ‘Device Manager’ and then open it when it appears.
- Now navigate to ‘Sound, video and game controllers’ and click to expand.
- Right-click on your headphone and choose ‘Update driver’
- Click the option to ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’
- Finally, simply follow the onscreen instructions to ensure your driver is up-to-date.
Driver problems can occur when users update their Asus PC’s Windows Operating System and, occasionally, it can result in the installation of a malfunctioning driver that won’t play ball with your pair of headphones.
If you think this may have happened to you, then there is a way to return to the original driver – this process is called ‘Roll back driver’.
Users who had no problems with their headphones before updating Windows on their Asus PCs should use the steps below:
- Open the ‘Device Manager’
- Expand ‘Sound, video and game controllers’
- Right-click your headphones and click ‘Properties’
- Ensure you are on the ‘Driver’ tab.
- Now choose ‘Roll Back Driver’
- Use the onscreen instructions and ensure you click ‘Yes’ when prompted.
2. Disable ‘Audio Enhancements’ if your Headphones are Not Working Correctly on your Asus PC
Using a decent pair of headphones in conjunction with your Asus PC should mean that you get to enjoy an overall better sound quality.
Not all PC users invest in high-end speakers and instead prefer using a headset or headphones.
Headphones and headsets are particularly favored by gamers, who want to immerse themselves in the sound design as much as the level design.
However, some users have found that despite owning an excellent pair of headphones, the sound quality is not up to scratch. Distorted sound, static, or crackling can ruin a gaming experience or video chat and have left users baffled as to what the cause is.
After some research it has been discovered that the culprit for these audio issues may actually be a setting that is designed to improve sound quality, but occasionally with certain devices, it does the exact opposite.
Windows ‘Audio Enhancements’ has been identified to interfere with some headphones and cause the disruptive symptoms mentioned above, and Microsoft has agreed, explaining that:
“Sometimes having audio enhancements on can result in audio issues. Disabling them may resolve your issue.” [Source:Support.Microsoft.com]
Here’s How to Disable Audio Enhancements on your Asus PC:
- Open ‘Control Panel’ by typing it into the search from the taskbar.
- Next, select ‘Hardware and Sound’
- Now click ‘Sound’
- Switch to the ‘Playback tab’
- Right-click on the ‘Default Device’ and open ‘Properties’
- Navigate to the ‘Enhancements’ tab and from there choose ‘Disable all enhancements’
- Alternatively, if the above option is unavailable, select ‘Disable all sound effects’
- Finally, click ‘OK’ and then check the audio from your headphones to see if the problem has been resolved.
It’s worth noting that some apps or games may have specific audio enhancements or audio configurations that may need to be disabled in order for your headphones to function at their best.
Explore the audio settings in the app or game you are using on your Asus PC and adjust your sound settings to eliminate distortions on your headphones.
3. Ensure your Headphones are Enabled & Set as ‘Default Device’ on your Asus PC
For your Asus PC to play through your pair of headphones, the device in question must be enabled and recognized by Windows.
Many users have found that if they set their headphones as the default sound device it triggers their Asus PC to start playing sound through them again.
Selecting your headphones as a default device can be conducted via the ‘Sound Settings’.
By using our guide below, you’ll find the process straightforward:
- On your taskbar you’ll find the speaker icon – right-click it and select ‘Open sound settings’
- Click the arrow beside your headphones and choose ‘set as default sound device’
- Finally, click ‘Use as default for audio’
Despite many users having success with the steps above, there are some Asus PC owners who have found that they cannot select their headphones.
The reason for this anomaly is likely due to the fact that your headphones are set to ‘disabled’.
Here’s How to Ensure your Headphones are Enabled & Set as Default Device:
- Return to the ‘Sound Settings’ window as mentioned above.
- Select ‘More sound settings’
- Navigate to the ‘Playback’ tab.
- Right-click in the pane that shows audio devices and select ‘Show Disabled Devices’
- Locate your headphones from the list.
- Right-click your headphones and select ‘Enable’
- Right-click your headphones once more and now choose ‘Set as default device’
Quick Tip: if you are using Windows 11, then you can switch the audio output to headphones by simply clicking the speaker icon, clicking the arrow beside the volume, and choosing your pair of headphones.
4. You Need to Run the Audio Troubleshooter
It’s not always easy to diagnose an audio issue; solving the problem can sometimes be arduous unless you have the technical knowledge.
This is precisely why Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that will attempt to do the hard work for the user.
The Audio Troubleshooter that Microsoft designed is a fantastic tool that can scan your system for errors and issues that may be preventing your headphones from working with your Asus PC.
Better yet, when the scan is complete, Windows will offer solutions.
If the Audio Troubleshooter is successful, you may well have automatically fixed any headphone problem you’ve been having.
Here’s How to Run the Audio Troubleshooter on your Asus PC:
- Open the Start menu and click ‘Settings’
- Now select ‘System’ followed by ‘Sound’
- From this Window, click ‘Troubleshoot common sound problems’
- Choose ‘Output devices’
- The Audio Troubleshooter will begin automatically scanning for problems.
- Once the process is complete, follow the onscreen instruction to solve any issues found.
5. Check your Bluetooth Settings to Ensure your Wireless Headphones will Work on your Asus PC
If you have a pair of wireless headphones and you want to connect them to your Asus PC, you’ll need to use Bluetooth. To ensure that a Bluetooth connection is made between your Asus PC and your headphones, you must ‘pair’ them to one another.
Once they are successfully paired, your Asus PC should recognize them in the future, and a connection will be established automatically.
Without completing this process, your wireless headphones will not work on your Asus PC, but thankfully it’s very simple to do.
Here’s How to Connect your Bluetooth Headphones to your Asus PC:
- Within the Windows search bar, type ‘Bluetooth and other devices’ and click it when it appears.
- Toggle ‘Bluetooth’ to its ON position.
- Ensure your headphones are switched on and Bluetooth is activated.
- Refer to your particular device’s user manual if necessary.
- Now click ‘Add device’
- In the new window, click ‘Bluetooth’
- Locate your headphones and choose ‘Connect’
- You will now see that ‘Your Device is Ready to Go’
- Click ‘Done’
Sources
Headphones Not Working in Windows? Here Are Some Fixes
Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
[Notebook/Desktop/AIO] Troubleshooting – How to fix the Sound

