You’ve got a great headset. Your DSO audio is pixel perfect, and your mic has some cool features that make you look awesome when talking to friends. But with all these amazing features, are you asking yourself questions such as, why can I hear myself in my headset?
No one wants to hear themselves speaking in a live headset. This is especially true because your microphone can pick up the sound and broadcast it to your viewers. It can also be frustrating when playing games or listening to music, especially if you want to hide from the world.
Hearing yourself through a headset, commonly known as “hear myself”, is a common phenomenon in virtually all headsets (Bluetooth, wired, and wireless) people use these days. It mostly occurs when the headset is paired with a receiver that also has a microphone connected to it.
Luckily, this article shows you ways to avoid hearing yourself through your headset.
Why can I hear Myself in my Headset?
Most of the time, the problem occurs when you are using the wrong type of headset for your phone. It is also common in Bluetooth headsets with an in-line microphone adapter. The Bluetooth headset is designed to work with cell phones and other electronic devices that have a built-in microphone and speaker.
Since it doesn’t have its microphone, it needs an adapter to connect to your cell phone. These adapters often have a male 3.5mm headphone jack on one side and a female 3.5mm headphone jack on the other.
This means that when you plug them into your cell phone, they will automatically adjust the volume of your cell phone’s speakers so that they match up with the level of sound coming out of your headphones. This may sound like a good idea initially, but it can cause some problems if you’re trying to listen to music or watch videos while wearing headphones.
To do this, some phones or headsets will adjust the volume of their speakers before adjusting it for your Bluetooth headset.
There are several factors that can lead to hearing myself through the headset.
- The first factor is that the volume of the audio is too loud. If it’s too loud, you will hear your voice clearly and easily, but if it’s too quiet, you won’t be able to hear yourself at all.
- The sound quality of your headset is poor.
- The environment around you may be interfering with your ability to hear.
- Another reason is wearing headphones that are too large for your head or have been adjusted incorrectly.
- The person you’re talking to may have their own set of issues that could affect their hearing and yours.
How to Stop Hearing Myself on my Headset
We will share several ways to stop hearing yourself on your headset.
1. Use a different device
This is the most basic option, and it does work for some people, but it might not work for everyone. If you are using a device such as a desktop computer or laptop, try plugging the headphones into the microphone port instead of the headphone jack or audio-in port. This will prevent noise cancellation from being applied to your voice on this device.
2. Turn off noise cancellation
Another way to stop hearing yourself on your headset is by turning off noise cancellation altogether. When you turn on noise cancellation, it automatically mutes out any background noises that may be annoying you during your calls.
However, if you want to hear more of what’s happening around you and feel less self-conscious about your conversations, turn off noise cancellation. You will hear all sounds when speaking with others through your headset.
3. Change your settings
If none of these options seems like they’ll work for you, then there could be something else going on in your system that needs attention before trying any more solutions. To start fixing any problems that might need you to change your setting. These includes:
- Make sure that your headset microphone is plugged into an outlet and turned on.
- Open the “Settings” app and go to Audio -> Microphone. Make sure that your microphone is selected as your default input device. If it isn’t, you can go ahead and select the option.
- Go back to the main screen of any App, go to the “Settings” app and select Audio -> Microphone again. This time, select an audio source other than your iPhone as your default output device (like Bluetooth speakers).
4. Buy a headphone splitter.
A headphone splitter removes headset noise by splitting the audio signal into two channels. The first channel receives all of the audio that travels through your headphones. In contrast, the second channel receives all of the audio that travels through your computer’s speakers or other external devices into your computer’s microphone.
5. Purchase an adapter that translates the line-level audio into headphone-level audio.
6. Use a USB-to-3.5mm jack converter.
A USB to 3.5mm jack converter removes headset noise with the help of a USB sound card and a special audio cable. This is one of the best ways to solve your problem if you are using an audio device with a headphone jack.
7. Connect your computer’s microphone directly to your headset.
Why can I Hear Myself in My Headset on XBOX
The first thing you need to do is check that your audio settings are set correctly. If you have a Dolby Headphone enabled, you should be able to hear yourself just fine with any other headset on Xbox One.
If you don’t have a Dolby Headphone enabled, it could be because of some of the following reasons:
- You’re using a wired headset. You can try using an Xbox Wireless Headset or Xbox Adaptive Controller instead.
- Your Xbox isn’t turned on and connected to the internet. Ensure your console is turned on, connected to the internet, and has all updates installed before trying again.
- You may also want to check for drivers for your microphone, speakers, and headphones, as well as make sure they’re working properly by testing them out via Windows Audio troubleshooter (Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Troubleshoot hardware & apps).
- The microphone is picking up something from a far-off room or location. You can adjust the volume on the chat mic, but if this is an issue, you can turn down your voice as much as possible in-game audio or try using a directional mic such as the ones used by some headsets.
- Another reason you might hear yourself in your headset is because it’s not muted correctly. To mute your mic while playing, press the Xbox button with two fingers and hold it down until you hear a sound like “muted.”
Why can I Hear Myself Through my Mic on PC?
This is a common issue that many people have when they use a headset on their PC. The reason why you can hear yourself in the microphone of your headset has to do with two things:
- The level of your computer’s audio output.
- The quality of your mic.
If you keep asking yourself, why can I hear myself in my headset on the PC, it is likely because one of these two factors is not correctly configured. Here’s how to fix this:
1. Check your sound settings: Your computer may already have a high-quality sound card or built-in speakers, and you may not need additional hardware. To find out which option is appropriate for you, open Windows Settings and select Devices > Sound. On this page, select any device from the drop-down menu in Sound System and choose Properties from the menu that appears at the top left of the window.
This will open a new window where you can adjust various settings for that device (for example, volume).
Make sure you don’t see anything about “Multiple devices” in this window, or else other applications on your computer will not hear your microphone.
2. If the sound card or driver is the culprit, you can fix this problem by going to the Device Manager and uninstalling any audio device that is not installed correctly.
If you still have problems after doing this, go to Control Panel under settings, and find the Hardware & Sound. Locate the Sound setting and choose your audio device, then tap Properties. Find the Advanced tab and click Troubleshoot from there.
3. Using an approved audio adapter or headset with your computer is always best to get the best performance possible.
If you’re using a non-compatibility USB device, like a USB flash drive, make sure it’s an approved device, not a fake one that doesn’t work on your computer.
4. Cleaning the ports
Also, try cleaning out the earpiece and microphone ports and ensure they aren’t blocked by debris before trying again.
Sidetone in Bluetooth Headsets
A sidetone is the sound you hear in your earpiece when you speak into a Bluetooth headset. The purpose of the sidetone feature is to allow you to hear yourself talk, so you can naturally determine your voice level. You hear whether you speak too softly or too loudly to adjust your voice accordingly.
Sidetone is an ‘echo effect’, but it’s caused by the speaker of a Bluetooth headset, not the microphone. The sound of your voice is fed back to you in the headsets, which can make for a pretty annoying experience. Here are some tips for managing sidetone if you’re struggling with it:
- The most widely accepted solution is talking in a soft tone so that the microphone can hear you.
- Open settings and go to the sound playback tab and open the properties window. Tap on the levels and change the sidetone to a comfortable level.
Final Word
That’s it! We hope this guide has helped you figure out why can I hear myself in my headset and solutions to the problem. This is one of the biggest complaints audiophiles have about headsets. If you experience this, you’re in good company. It’s a problem that plagues many people.
We have offered you simple and practical steps to solve the issue depending on what is causing the problem and which device you connect the headset to. If you try any of the solutions mentioned in the guide, please comment below and let us know how it goes. You can also read this if you have questions on gaming with speakers or headphones.
