How to Use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows?

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

If you and your friend or a family member are faced with a scenario whereby one of you wants to listen to music through the headphones and the other through the speaker, you ought not to worry.

It is possible to use speakers & headphones at the same time on windows. And, the interesting thing is that you do not need to install additional programs to simultaneously use headphones and speakers at the same time in windows 10.

 

Things you will need

  • Headphones and speaker
  • Windows system

 

How to use ......

 

For windows 8 & 10 versions:

Step 1 : Connect both the headphones and speakers to your PC.

Step 2 : On the system taskbar tray, go to the Volume Right-click the icon and then click sound options so that the sound dialog pops up.      

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 3 : Make the speaker default. You can do this through right-clicking the speaker option under the playback tab and set as the default device. If the speaker was already on default option, it will be greyed out or be missing.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 4 : Click on the same device to switch to recording.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 5 : Go to stereo mix or microphone, right click it and select properties.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 6 : Click the listen tab and tick the listen to this device label. Go to the drop-down dialog named playback through this device and select headphone.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 7 : Punch on the Apply button and you will be done. From there sound should come from both speakers and headphone.

If they are not playing at the same time, you should check if you put the speaker as a default communication device instead of the Default device.

If you are using windows 7, you should try the following:

Step 1 : Start on the search box on the start menu. Type into the box the word sound. A sound fly-up menu will emerge.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 2 : On the sound menu, click on the tab labeled Recording. Right-click the white space on the window and choose to show disabled devices.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 3 : Go to Stereo Mix and right click it. Then, choose to ENABLE this device.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 4 : Right-click the Stereo Mix option once more but this time choose properties.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 5 :Punch on Listen tab. Afterward, check the “Listen to this device”. Click on “Playback through the device” drop-down menu. Select the device to playback-which, in this case, is the Speakers and Select Apply.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 6 :Go to the Playback Tab and click on it.

Step 7 :Find the other output device option and right click it. Choose the “Set as default device” Option.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

Step 8 :After confirming that option, you should see green bars of both devices as you hear sound emanating from both the devices.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

⚠ Note: the sound that comes out of the speakers & headphones in windows are not perfectly synchronized when using the listen feature as there are some delays. The headset sound signal is usually delayed.

 

How to get headphones and speakers to stop playing at the same time?

There are a couple of times the speakers and headphones playing at the same time seem a nuisance. If you are one of those, it is easy to tend to think what you would do to get headphones and speakers to stop playing at the same time.

To disable effectively, you will need to install the Realtek software. In such a case, as you plug in your headsets, your speaker sound will automatically disable.

You will have to do the following:

1) Install any Realtek HD Audio Driver so that the software gets installed on your PC along with the whole package. Then, double-click the Speaker icon and the software will easily launch from the system tray.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

2)Alternatively, you can go to the system drive, get to the Program Files location to launch it from there.

C:\Program Files\Realtek\Audio\HDA\RtHDVCpl.exe

3)Depending on the software version you install, the name of the executable file usually varies.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

4) Once the Realtek HD Audio Manager is launched, you will realize that it has two tabs; the speakers and microphone tab. However, when you insert your headset, its icon should automatically pop out.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

After that

a. Open Realtek HD Audio Manager found in the Control Panel.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

b. At the upper right window, check for the yellow folder and click it.

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

c.Find the Disable front panel jack detection and tick its box.

d. Click on the OK

How to use Speakers & Headphones at the Same Time on Windows

 Note: In the panel jack detection, there are two options:

  • Make front and rear output... simultaneously: the speaker will be switched off when you plug in the headphones.
  • Mute the rear...plugged: both the headphones and speakers will be able to operate simultaneously.

 

To conclude

So, if anyone near you wants to hear music the speaker while you want to watch a movie on a PC, you can surely help. You now know How to use speakers & Headphones at the same time on windows. Go ahead and try it to see how it turns out.

 


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