I’ve been dealing with this issue for a while now. At first, I thought it was my old wired headphones, but I recently got a Logitech Pro X 2 wireless headset, and the same thing keeps happening. I even tested a third pair of headphones and my earbuds, and the issue is still there. So it’s not the headphones.
Here’s what I’ve tried so far: using cable, Bluetooth, and the RF USB adapter for the headphones. I even went as far as completely formatting my PC and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows. Still, no luck.
Since it’s not software, not the headphones, and not the ports (I’ve tried different ones), I’m starting to think it might be the motherboard. But I honestly can’t figure out how that could cause this. It’s driving me nuts.
Edit: Forgot to mention—it’s mostly noticeable with voices (like on Discord) and seems to ignore most other sounds like music. When I tried recording it online, I couldn’t hear it, but when I used the Windows Sound Recorder, I could faintly hear my audio output. What’s going on?
Are you saying your mic is picking up the audio from your headphones? If that’s the case, it’s likely the headphones. It’s probably not your motherboard, Windows, or even the ports if you’ve tried different connections.
Gaming headset microphones aren’t the best—they can pick up sounds from the headphone speakers if the volume is high or the mic input sensitivity is turned up. Some headphones also have a lot of sound leakage from the ear cups.
Try lowering both the headphone volume and mic sensitivity. If that doesn’t work, maybe consider a better standalone mic.
@Electra
I don’t think it’s the headphones because I’ve tried four different sets, including earbuds, and they all have the same issue. The audio I’m hearing is being transmitted through the mic and heard by others on Discord. So it can’t just be the headphones, right?
“If I play audio on my PC at a moderate volume through my earbuds and make a voice recording in Windows, some of the audio is faintly captured in the recording.”
Is that right? If so, what happens when you play music from your phone with those same earbuds and record audio? Do you still hear the music in the recording?
If you do, it’s likely the mic lacks proper noise filtering. You might need to adjust the gain or set a noise gate.
It’s hard to imagine crosstalk or interference affecting USB and Bluetooth connections because they’re digital. But for a 3.5mm jack, interference inside the PC case is pretty common.
Have you tried enabling Discord’s noise suppression? That should help filter out headphone sound picked up by the mic. If not, you might have a weird software issue—although you said you ruled that out with the fresh Windows install.
@Briley
Yeah, I already ruled out software since I formatted the PC and reinstalled Windows. If I try the same setup on my phone, the issue doesn’t happen. Discord’s noise suppression is also on, but it doesn’t help.
@Chase
This is puzzling because it sounds like crosstalk. If it happens with USB, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm connections—and with no custom software installed—it’s hard to pinpoint. Could it really be hardware?
You’ve tried multiple headphones and earbuds. What happens if you mix and match? Like using 3.5mm for audio output and USB for the mic? Try covering the headphones with a towel to rule out noise leakage.
Also, are you sure there are no other audio devices connected, like a webcam with a built-in mic? Disable all unused audio inputs and outputs in Windows to eliminate any confusion.
@Chase
Honestly, I’m as confused as you are. If my friends hadn’t helped confirm the issue, I’d think I was imagining things. I don’t have any other audio devices—just the headphones or earbuds I’ve tested. I also tried disabling every input/output not in use, but the issue persists. This is why I’m posting here. I’m completely out of ideas.
@Chase
That’s wild. If you’ve eliminated headphones, software, and cabling as the issue, I’m stumped. Have you tried running the headphones/mic on another PC entirely? Maybe it’s some quirk with your setup that’s really specific. It’s a long shot, but you might want to look into BIOS updates for your motherboard or even checking for a hardware fault there.
@Chase
I’ve already tried everything suggested in that thread, but none of it worked. And since I reinstalled Windows, none of it should even apply anymore.