PC Tech Thread

Having some trouble with audio on the new computer - specifically relating to using a headset with a built in microphone - ideally bluetooth but also wired.

In the first instance, I can get my bose qc 35 ii to connect and listen to things. But when I launch an app, specifically PUBG, it disconnects. I can alt tab out to bluetooth settings and switch it on and off again, sometimes it works for a minute, sometimes when I run PUBG the only option it gives me is a 'hands free AG Audio' version which seems to capture the local sound (i.e. me breathing) and play that back to me as well as the internal sound from the software (leading to me hearing a very echoey/distant sound which isn't great for games).

Whenever I hear audio over bluetooth I'm never able to use the mic on the same devicea at the same time. I've tried deleting all knowledge of the headphones from device manager, tried clearing the memory on the headphones, tried reinstalling bluetooth drivers. I can't find my 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable so can't try the headphones wired instead of wireless but suspect I'd run into issues with the front headphone jack not accepting a mic/headphone combo? (I've ordered a 2.5mm / 3.5mm adapter which arrives tomorrow to test this theory).

The motherboard (a Gigabyte Vision B550 D):

*Realtek® ALC1220-VB codec

• The back panel line out jack supports DSD audio.
  Support for DTS:X® Ultra
  High Definition Audio
  2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
  Support for S/PDIF Out*
  
  

The rear IO panel :

The front IO has a single 3.5mm jack - I can't see anywhere that suggests it may accept both mic and headphone functions, but it may.

To complicate things there's also a 3.5mm jack on monitor (again, I don't know what functions it offers) and there are 2 x HDMI 2.1 and 3 x DP 1.4 on the graphics card all with nVidia sticking their audio oar in.

Ignoring bluetooth for now, I've tried connecting a pair of iphone headphones with in-line mic and can hear through them on the front panel but can't be heard.

I've tried connecting the iphone headphones to the monitor and can hear (but noticeably quieter max volume) but cannot be heard.

I've tried connecting the iphone headphones to all of the ports at the rear (just for the sake of it) and can neither hear nor be heard - the one I had hope for was using the iphone headphones as a mic via the rear mic slot and then other wired headphones in the front 3.5mm slot. No joy.

This is the gist of the options in Sounds using current settings for stable listening:

PLAYBACK

Headset
Bose QC35 II Hands-Free AG Audio
Ready

Headphones
Bose QC35II Stereo
Ready

Monitor
NVIDIA HD Audio
Ready

NVIDIA Output
NVIDIA HD Audio
Not plugged in

NVIDIA Output
NVIDIA HD Audio
Not plugged in

Zowie XL LCD
NVIDIA HD Audio
Not plugged in

Speakers
Realtek (R) Audio
Ready

PC FRONT
Realtek (R) Audio
Default device

Realtek Digital Output
Realtek (R) Audio
Ready

RECORDING:

Headset
Bose QC35 II Hands-Free AG Audio
Default Device

Microphone
Realtek (r) audio
Not plugged in

Line In
Realtek (r) Audio
Not plugged in

Stereo Mix
Realtek (R) Audio
Ready

-

I've tinkered while typing this and can now get the mic on the bluetooth headphones to remain consistently on (even with an instance of PUBG) and then using the wired iphone headphones as my audio monitor. So I hear with the in-ears and then put the Bose over the top of them as as the mic. It's far from ideal.

Coming from 'la it just works apple la' this is proving frustrating but presumably has some kind of overlooked simple fix -right? I've googled and seen lots of instances of the bose qc35 ii being problematic in windows 10 but none of the fixes I've seen have worked for me.

My next buy is a proper gaming headset (presumably something that uses a USB adapter e.g. logitech pro x wirelesss which shouldn't have any such issues, right?) or potentially a USB interface like a Scarlett 2i2. I have several nice mics but they're all phantom powered so can't just plug them in the mic slot on the back via 3.5mm-XLR.

But I'd prefer if my current headphones just worked. Any obvious end-user-idiocy things I'm missing that can be resolved without additional hardware?