Bluetooth headphone audio is distorted unless handsfree telephony is disabled

Bug Reporting Hub Hardware & Peripherals
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ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue:
On both my Sony XM4 and Edifier W800BT Plus bluetooth headphones, when FS2024 is running, the audio coming from the headphones is distorted. The issue goes away once FS2024 stops running and/or when I disable handsfree telephony for the headphones I am currently using (annoying because Windows 11 seems to re-enable this setting every time my computer boots up).

[PC Only] Did you remove all your community mods/add-ons? If yes, are you still experiencing the issue?
I have no mods or add-ons installed.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)?
Every time on sim load

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

  1. Turn on/connect to bluetooth headphones
  2. Open FS2024

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What peripherals are currently plugged in? Please name all of them as there could be a potential conflict.
Sony WH-1000XM4, Edifier W800BT Plus

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it?
No

[PC, MSFS 2020 Only] Are you using DX11 or DX12?
N/A

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use?
RTX 3080 10 GB

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share?
Ryzen 7 5800X3D, 32 GB 3200 MHz

MEDIA

Please add a screenshot or video of the issue occurring.

[END OF FIRST USER REPORT]

:loudspeaker: For anyone who wants to contribute on this issue, Click on the button below to use this template:

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
•

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
•

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
•

2 Likes
2

Yes I had this as well, extremely annoying to have to workaround it.

1 Like
3

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
• Yes, although I’m using the Sony WH-1000XM5 headset

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
• I have a similar issue when I use zoom. The audio quality gets diminished. But only when Zoom is using the Mic in the headset. I can restore my audio quality by selecting a different mic for Zoom to use. However, in flight sim, I have tried disabling voice chat under online setting and I have tried selecting a different input device, and I would expect these settings to resolve the issue by releasing access to the mic on the headset. This doesn’t work, though. I would be happy if disabling voice chat would allow flight sim to use the bluetooth headset in audio output mode only.

I happened to also post a duplicate bug report here

4

Have the same issue using Airpods.

1 Like
5

Just thought I’d add to this as it’s a problem that’s plagued me in a few games/apps and happened in FS2024. I was able to find a permanent workaround by setting a different device as ‘default communication device’. The Bluetooth headset remains as the default sound device as normal.

Method if anyone wants to try it:

In the sound control panel (search for change system sounds to get to it in Windows 11). I set my monitor’s sound output as the default communication device (in the playback tab). It doesn’t have speakers but as long as it’s set to this and enabled, as well as the Bluetooth microphone (in the recording tab) being disabled it’s worked perfectly since.

6

In case anybody needs a quick fix:

8

I have the same problem. This problem exists for everyone who has a Bluetooth headset with integrated microphone. It’s not just that you have to be annoyed by the thousands of bugs in the flight simulator. Now you also have to deactivate your audio devices. It stinks violently …

1 Like
9

One of many problems for me usually sorted out in a alpha period have not bothered yet to deal with .the answer is to use 2020 for me at the moment and hope this software becomes playable someday

1 Like
10

I don’t know if this is the same bug. When I try to use my Air Pod Pro 2, they work fine with every other program on my Windows 11 laptop, but when I start MS2024, I can barely hear any sound.

I’ve shut off voice chat in the sim, selected mic to be the Realtek mic in the laptop, and I’ve gone into security and denied access to the mic for MS2024 and turned off hands free telephony in the system settings. Rebooted my computer several times, and rebooted MS2024 after every time I change a setting (ridiculous).

Yet, every time I start MS2024, it kills my audio in my Bluetooth Air Pods
And now it takes forever for 2024 to load each time I change a setting and reboot it.
I’d love to get to a point where I can use the sim. Hopefully some time in the next year?

BTW, I start out with MS2024 accessing 2 Bluetooth devices in the Volume Mixer. Then, if I change a setting in one of them, I get 3 more Bluetooth devices connected to MS2024. Then if I change settings in them, I get more devices.

1 Like
11

This is a default windows thing. You have to have another microphone or remove telophony if you want it to go away. If you are using Bluetooth, there isn’t enough data from one connection to have audio crisp audio going both ways so it halves the signal both directions.

That’s why bluetooth headphones ALWAYS sound terrible on calls, regardless of who makes it.

12

I’m having a similar problem. Hands-free mode is disabled, microphone is disabled, problem fixed for every other game including FS2020. Get to FS2024, it forces hands-free mode. Even after I uninstalled hands-free drivers, FS2024 launched, forced new drivers to download without my approval, and forced hands-free mode again.
Nothing can stop it, the audio sounds terrible and volume can’t be adjusted in hands-free mode.

1 Like
13

Well, except that I disabled everything. I disabled 2024’s ability to use the mic. I disabled telephony in the device settings for my air pods (which defeats half the purpose of my air pods). I turned using the microphone off in the sim. I don’t know where else I can turn it off. I set the default mic to be my laptop mic. I still lose all audio.

As I said, I don’t get horrible audio. I get no audio (or barely so (you can just hear a teeny little bit of audio at 100%, no audio at 80%, like it’s leaking through somewhere. And I normally can’t use 100% audio, it’s too loud.).

14

except most video games don’t have this issue supporting wireless headphones/airpods, even many ones with microphone usage.

15

This is a major issue.

I cannot get any even remotely decent Bluetooth audio from my computer when MSFS 2024 is running. This wasn’t a problem at all in MSFS 2020.

16
  1. Open up your Start Menu and search for “Bluetooth & devices.”
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click “More devices and printer settings.”
  3. In that old-school looking window, find your Bluetooth audio device, right click it, and hit “Properties.”
  4. Go to the “Services” tab and uncheck the box for “Handsfree Telephony” - this is the culprit that’s cutting your audio quality in half.
  5. Hit “Apply,” and your audio will cut off.
1 Like
18

Problem is this has to be done every time the PC is restarted as the “Hansfree Telephony” is reset automatically when bluetooth is reconnected. And even then every once in a while this doesn’t work as the sound just never comes back so a sim restart is needed.

This is a major pain.

19

Amen to that,I’ve just uninstalled/reinstalled it and the sound still resembles a guitar distortion device such as a flanger or a wah wah.We may have thought 2020 was troublesome on release,but 2024 is far worse…

20

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
• Same issue.

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
• Am having the exact same issue and logged a bug report but was asked to add to this one. Same need to disable hands free telephony every reboot, then disconnect and reconnect Bluetooth speaker. Using an Anker Soundcore Bluetooth speaker. Issue is not present with MSFS2020 which I have on same machine. Both the install of MSFS2020 where this does not happen and the install of MS2024 where it does were clean as machine was brand new. nVidia 4080, processor i9. Also did not happen with MS2020 on my old machine which I had used for several years.

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
•

21

Figured out a fix. Works on AirPods Max flawlessly.

Disable game chat in msfs and set input/output devices to whatever random audio device you can.

In xbox game bar - go to “Voice” and remove your BT headset from there completely, change it to whatever else you want or can.

Boom, no more switching \o/

22

Do you have the same issue if you follow the OP’s steps to reproduce it?
• yes

Provide extra information to complete the original description of the issue:
• the same issue b/c of switch to the different audio codec due to the microphone usage

If relevant, provide additional screenshots/video:
• none