Bad Sound Quality with Bluetooth Headphones

[dznKings]

Hey team. I noticed a freaking crazy problem. I have a Bluetooth headphone (Sennheiser Momentum 4) that I use to play a lot of games.
These headphones have a good sound quality when I play a lot of games but Helldivers seems to connect my phone as a Hands-Free quality, I know this because the quality is very poor for bass sounds even the voice is very bad.

When I connect through the detachable cable the quality it's hugely different, very crystal clear (as supposed to be) but this type of sound just works with cable.
I couldn't find anything about the type of sound equipment in-game settings, just the equalizer system.

Is there a way to guarantee that the system connects my headphones with the best quality sound?

On my PC I already disabled the Hands-free function, so Windows just recognizes the Best Quality of my headphones for music, games, etc.
In Windows Sound Settings I put (not allow Windows application use this device for audio) in the Hands-Free option

[d_Orbital]

no kidding it sounds like dogsh*t. like listening through a tin can at the bottom of the ocean. the different preset do nothing. same piss poor balancing. same dogwater effect: highly digitized, but also muffled audio suggesting something with the bitrate

[dznKings]

@d_Orbital - I'm facing this only with Bluetooth headphones, Idk if there exists a Bluetooth driver problem, because all other applications, software, and games work very well with Bluetooth, only the problem is with this game. Do you have the same problem with the Bluetooth connection?

[madlarkin8]

i answered you on the other thread, yes, its just a bluetooth problem, seemss to be with a lot of people. myself and my two friends at least.

[dznKings]

Yup, man... I checked a few other posts here and found a lot of people suffering from the same problem, the unique difference is that a few people didn't disable the Hands Free option in Windows Audio Settings.

For me, I disable all types of connections with my headphones hands-free, but the problem seems to happen every time with this game...

[d_Orbital]

Автор сообщения: dEhzin

@d_Orbital - I'm facing this only with Bluetooth headphones, Idk if there exists a Bluetooth driver problem, because all other applications, software, and games work very well with Bluetooth, only the problem is with this game. Do you have the same problem with the Bluetooth connection?

no, i do not. i even updated my bluetooth drivers. still dogwater. this game is borked. such a minimum viable product, it's embarrassing

[dznKings]

HEY GUYS!! URGENTE!!! FINALLY, I GOT FIX!!!


So those who have Bluetooth Headphones must be focused on every time a game enters in a muddy sound quality it's because the game connects your headphones to Hands-Free Mode, because of your built-in microphone (regularly).

Step by Step to Fix (I'm using Windows 11)
1. Right-click on the Bluetooth Icon (windows bar --- the right side of the screen)
2. Open Settings
3. In the new screen go down until you find: More devices and printer settings (must be the last option in the group: Related Settings)
4. In the new window opened look for your headphone device (mine was MOMENTUM 4)
5. Double-click on it and go to Hardware TAB
6. Search for the device that has a hands-free) indication and the type column it's (Sound Controler, Video, and other stuff. --- Select this device and click on Properties

ATTENTION HERE -- My computer shows two hands-free devices, one had Hands-Free AG and the other did not. The AG hardware type column had only one piece of info: (System Device) --- don't disable this one... go to the other one.

If yours just shows one, go ahead and try :D (If you don't receive sound anymore, just go to the same settings and enable the drive again and reboot the PC)

7. In the Properties Window, on the general tab, click on Change Settings (it's a button above the OK button)
8. Go to the Driver TAB and click on Disable Device

Here maybe the system will notify you that need a restart.
Save all your pages and stuff and then reboot your system.

If you do everything as I mentioned, probably your system will start without any problem, and nothing will change. Go to the game and try to listen.

OBSERVATION: In my case, I have a table microphone and use my headphones just for good sound quality. So I never used the built-in mic for PC software, so if you need maybe you can't disable I don't know but I recommend that you try to test it.

I also validated the Windows Sound Settings to guarantee that everything it related to Hands-Free and If had I recommend that you disable it also.

[d_Orbital]

Update: i disabled windows Handsfree Telephony option for my headphones. there is no game audio whatsoever. restarted BT signal, restarted comp. borked

I'm doing my part. Want to know more? Join up

update update: my headphones sound great with spotify. i should have turned off the handsfree nonsense ages ago

i'm using Bose QC45s, btw

update #3: got the headphones working again, but it seems to be forcing audio through the telephony service cuz it sounds exactly the same as before. only HD2 is doing this. spotify & every other program with audio nicely shunts the signal through the 2-channel DVD quality path in the headphones.

im done with troubleshooting this game. like just done.

[Budda]

Автор сообщения: dEhzin

HEY GUYS!! URGENTE!!! FINALLY, I GOT FIX!!!
So those who have Bluetooth Headphones must be focused on every time a game enters in a muddy sound quality it's because the game connects your headphones to Hands-Free Mode, because of your built-in microphone (regularly).

This worked for me, but slightly differently (Sony WH-1000MX4). Right click it on the bluetooth quick bar to go to setting, choose devices, then more devices and printers at the bottom. Double click to open the device, then go to the services tab and untick Hands-free Telephony.

[Maikeru]

I've found a persistent fix on Reddit.

As anyone who tried Handsfree telephony knows, it re-enables after you restart (+BT microphone gets enabled - at least in my case). To get around this, you can instead disable the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.

In your search bar, type Services and open the Services app. Find Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service. Stop the service, then right click and go to properties, change the Startup type to Disabled. This way, the service will remain disabled when you restart your pc.

after you disable the service, you need to restart your headphones

[danny]

Автор сообщения: Maikeru

I've found a permanent solution on Reddit.

As anyone who tried Handsfree telephony knows, it re-enables after you restart (+BT microphone gets enabled - at least in my case). To get around this, you can instead disable the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.

In your search bar, type Services and open the Services app. Find Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service. Stop the service, then right click and go to properties, change the Startup type to Disabled. This way, the service will remain disabled when you restart your pc.

after you disable the service, you need to restart your headphones

This.
Words can't explain how grateful I am I have been looking for a solution for years now.

[Barrex]

Автор сообщения: Maikeru

I've found a permanent solution on Reddit.

As anyone who tried Handsfree telephony knows, it re-enables after you restart (+BT microphone gets enabled - at least in my case). To get around this, you can instead disable the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.

In your search bar, type Services and open the Services app. Find Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service. Stop the service, then right click and go to properties, change the Startup type to Disabled. This way, the service will remain disabled when you restart your pc.

after you disable the service, you need to restart your headphones

Been playing with bad audio up till now, thanks so much.
Now the only issue is the login limit

[Waldo]

Автор сообщения: Maikeru

I've found a permanent solution on Reddit.

As anyone who tried Handsfree telephony knows, it re-enables after you restart (+BT microphone gets enabled - at least in my case). To get around this, you can instead disable the Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.

In your search bar, type Services and open the Services app. Find Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service. Stop the service, then right click and go to properties, change the Startup type to Disabled. This way, the service will remain disabled when you restart your pc.

after you disable the service, you need to restart your headphones

There are work arounds but this was the best for me. I didn't even have to power off my headphones or the game. After about 10 seconds everything reconnected and worked great.

[Sabrehawk]

The game has obvious oversight in audio device detection. When my bluetooth speaker is ignored despite being the DEFAULT audio device, the sound actually is reverted to the MAINBOARD sound and is playing on the cable headphones that i also have lying around. Alt Tabbing and changing it back to bluetooth speaker didnt solve it either.

Will try the audio gateway thingy... Sounds legit.. but truly is just a thing the customer SHOULDNT have to do. I have had this with a few mostly indie games... Its a pure oversight of development.

[Maikeru]

Автор сообщения: Sabrehawk

The game has obvious oversight in audio device detection. When my bluetooth speaker is ignored despite being the DEFAULT audio device, the sound actually is reverted to the MAINBOARD sound and is playing on the cable headphones that i also have lying around. Alt Tabbing and changing it back to bluetooth speaker didnt solve it either.

Will try the audio gateway thingy... Sounds legit.. but truly is just a thing the customer SHOULDNT have to do. I have had this with a few mostly indie games... Its a pure oversight of development.

Try disabling the mainboard audio - Control panel -> HW and Sound -> Sound -> find the device and press right mouse button on it and select Disable

[Nimx]

Disabling a Core function of my headset, which removes the ability to use voice chat in game, is not a proper fix. My bluetooth headset works 99% of the time, Helldivers 2 being the 1%. Developer doesn't want sound and communication in there game to function properly?