Speedlink 5.1 USB headset suddenly gone very wrong.

[lemony_fresh]

Hi everyone,

I have a ridiculously frustrating problem with my headset :-(

I'd just built a new computer and installed my headset, and all was fine; sound was clear, microphone was good, sound tests in Steam and Skype worked fine. There were no problems and I turned my computer off for the day.


The next day, I turn my computer on, and everything had changed.

I now have a constant high pitched interference noise which gets momentarily worse depending on what action I'm doing on the computer, e.g. using the mouse scroll wheel. My microphone/headpones seem to have lost the ability to work together any more; it's either one or the other and it's completely random as to which one will work. Strangely, if it's the headphone that's working and the computer isn't detecting mic noise, then when I unmute the mic on the computer, I can hear the mic, but the computer still doesn't detect its noise.

I feel like I've tried everything - unplugged everything and left only the headset plugged in, plugged the headset into every USB port going, uninstalled and reinstalled drivers - but no luck. The headset works absolutely fine in my laptop.

I'm wondering if Windows Update destroyed the link between my PC and my headset?! It's the only explanation I can think of for it working fine one day, then horribly the next.

Does anyone have any ideas? :-(

[Lucio]

It's possible that configuration changes took place that only kicked in on a reboot. Since you've already covered the basics relating to the headphones, I'd suggest you check through your soundcard settings and try out different options relating to the mic.

[lemony_fresh]

Thanks, I should have mentioned that I've tried to play with every audio setting going, but I had no luck. It's such a strange problem; to give an example of how strange it is, I'll go into skype audio settings and based on as much chance as a spin on the roulette wheel, The microphone will be detected by Skype (the red/yellow/green bar moves when I speak) but I can't hear any playback. Then, I may try to do an audio test and it won't work after a few clicks on the test button, but then randomly, I'll hear the test sound. But then, when I try to test the microphone again, no mic sound is detected.

Basically, my audio output/input cannot happen at the same time.. And the high pitch interference is still a major annoyance

Many thanks

[Phage]

I had a similar problem with a USB headset. The system never knew whether to use the onboard sound or the headphones as they were recognised as new sound device like a sound card.
i.e. I now had two sound cards.
Try disabling the on-board sound in the BIOS.

[lemony_fresh]

I had a similar problem with a USB headset. The system never knew whether to use the onboard sound or the headphones as they were recognised as new sound device like a sound card.
i.e. I now had two sound cards.
Try disabling the on-board sound in the BIOS.

Thanks for your suggestion but it still isn't working :-(. I'm going nuts here wondering why I can't just use my headset as a headset. I've uninstalled everything, reinstallled, disabled onboard sound in bios, removed anything audio related, uninstalled again, used every USB port going...it just doesn't seem to be happening. I have no control over whether it'll be the audio that works, or the mic that works :-(

And BY THE WAY it works fine in my laptop :-|

[Phage]

What does the hardware manager say ? Any of those yellow warning symbols ?