Connect 2 Bluetooth Headphones to 1 PC
You downloaded a new album or single or wish to play a movie late at night and you wish to share it with a friend. However, you cannot play it out loud, so you need to listen via a headset. Your choices are to share a wired headphone and one earbud per person, an audio splitter if available, or listen on separate Bluetooth headsets, of which the latter option is not normally possible as Windows can only output to one sound channel. This time, we’ll discuss how to connect two Bluetooth headphones to one PC and use them simultaneously.
How to Use Two Bluetooth Headphones at once in Windows
The Bluetooth technology on most laptops does not allow for more than one Bluetooth headset to be used. But the good thing is, it’s possible to use two separate Bluetooth headsets on one computer and this tutorial will teach you how, so you and your partner can listen to the same music or show in a more satisfying way. Carefully follow these steps on how to connect two Bluetooth headphones to one PC.
1. Download and install the free lite version of the Virtual Audio Cable software. Once downloaded, extract the zip file to any folder you wish. Then, run the setup file. Don’t forget to do so as Administrator.
2. After installation, go back to the folder where you extracted the setup files. Look for the x64 folder. You will see a file called “audiorepeater”. Drag the file to your desktop.
3. Next, you need to open your Sound Settings. Press Start and type Control Panel. Go to the Control Panel and click on Hardware and Sound. Click on Sound. In the Playback tab, scroll down to Line 1. Set it as the default device. Do the same for the Recording Tab. Then click on Ok.
4. Next, go to the Desktop. Open the audiorepeater file twice by right-clicking and choosing Run as Administrator. It will result in two instances of Audio Repeater. In the first instance, select Microsoft Sound Mapper on the Wave In option. On the second instance, select Line 1 (Virtual Audio Cable) in the ‘Wave In’ field.
5. On the Wave Out option of both instances, select your separate Bluetooth devices. Then click on the Start buttons. If you see the Queue bars moving, you have successfully set up two Bluetooth headphones on your laptop. You can now listen to films and tunes on separate headphones simultaneously.
Kindly note that sound quality will depend on the laptop’s Bluetooth hardware. High-end laptops should not have any issues with this method.
When you no longer need to share your Bluetooth audio, do not forget to return to Sound settings and set Speakers as the default audio device. Otherwise, you won’t be able to play audio on your laptop speakers and wired headphones.
If for some reason, you want to share the audio to several pairs of Bluetooth headphones, you will need to buy the paid version of Virtual audio cable which can share audio to up to 256 devices. The number of devices you can share however will depend on how powerful your computer hardware is.
Play Audio through Wired and Bluetooth Headsets at the Same Time
Not everyone has multiple Bluetooth headsets lying around. The other person can also do so using a wired headset. But as mentioned, Windows can only play sound using one audio output. It’s either the Bluetooth headsets or the speaker/wired headset. You can go around this through Sound settings. We won’t be needing Virtual Audio Cable for this one.
1. First, establish the Bluetooth connection to your wireless headset. Then, plug in your wired headset to your computer or laptop’s headphone jack.
2. Notice that on Windows, when you click on the speaker icon on the system tray, you can select which of the two output devices you can route the audio through.
Let us go to Sound Settings to play sounds on both audio devices. Right-click on the speaker icon. Choose Sounds. On the Playback Tab, depending on which device you choose, you will see it playing. To add the other device, go to the Recording tab.
3. On the Recording Tab, look for the Stereo Mix option. If it’s not visible, it must be disabled and hidden. To show and enable it, right-click and select Show Disabled Devices. Stereo Mix should now show itself. Enable Stereo Mix by right-clicking on it and choose Enable.
4. Highlight Stereo Mix and click on Properties. On the Properties Screen, click on the Listen Tab. Then, enable the option Listen to this device. That option will listen to the default Playback device. In this case, let’s assume it’s the Bluetooth headset.
5. Then, under the option ‘Playback through this device’, choose the other audio device. This time, it would be the speaker/headphone jack. Then click Apply and Ok.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use two headphones on my PC?
Yes, you can use two headphones on your PC. To do this, you can either use a headphone splitter or a USB adapter. A headphone splitter allows you to connect two headphones to the audio jack on your PC, while a USB adapter provides additional USB ports for connecting multiple headphones. Yes, you can use two headphones on your PC. If your PC has separate jacks for the headphones and microphone, you can easily connect a pair of headphones to each jack and use them simultaneously.
However, if your PC has only one jack for both the headphones and microphone, you would need to use a splitter. A splitter allows you to connect two headphones to the same jack, thus enabling you to use two headphones on your PC at the same time. Simply plug the splitter into the jack, and then connect both headphones to the splitter. To adjust the volume or other settings for the headphones, simply right-click anywhere on your PC and select “Playback devices.”
2. How do I connect two Bluetooth headphones to my PC?
To connect two Bluetooth headphones to your PC, you need a Bluetooth adapter. Make sure your PC has built-in Bluetooth or purchase a Bluetooth adapter if it doesn’t. Then, follow these steps:
- Turn on the Bluetooth feature on both headphones.
- Go to the Bluetooth settings on your PC.
- Click on “Add Bluetooth or other device” and select “Bluetooth.”
- Your PC will search for available Bluetooth devices. Select both headphones from the list.
- Once connected, you can play audio through both headphones simultaneously.
To connect two Bluetooth headphones to your PC running Windows 11 or any Windows PC, you can use the built-in Bluetooth functionality. First, ensure that your computer has Bluetooth capabilities. Then, activate the Bluetooth feature on both headphones by following their instruction manuals.
Next, go to the Bluetooth settings on your PC and turn on Bluetooth. Make sure that your headphones are discoverable. Once they appear in the list of available devices, select one of the headphones and click “Pair.” Repeat this step for the second pair of headphones. Now, you should be able to use both Bluetooth headphones simultaneously to listen to audio from your computer via Bluetooth connection.
3. Can I use two or more headphones on my PC without a splitter?
Yes, you can use two or more headphones on your PC without a splitter. If your PC has multiple audio output jacks or ports, you can connect each headphone to a separate jack or port to achieve the same result. Alternatively, you can also use a USB audio mixer to connect multiple headphones to your PC. If you want to connect two or more headphones into your computer without a splitter, you may encounter some limitations.
Most computers have only one audio output, which means you can connect only one pair of headphones directly. However, if you’re using multiple Bluetooth headphones, you might be able to listen to audio on more than one device simultaneously. To do this, you need to know how to use two or more audio outputs on your computer and connect two pairs of headphones wirelessly.
4. How do I set up two headphones on Windows 10?
To set up two headphones on Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Connect the first headphone to one audio jack or port on your PC.
- Connect the second headphone to another audio jack or port on your PC.
- Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select “Open Sound settings.”
- In the Sound settings, under the “Output” section, you should see both headphones listed as separate audio devices.
- Select the first headphone as the default device for sound output.
- Click on the second headphone and select “Set as default communication device” if you intend to use it for communication purposes.
To set up two headphones on Windows 10, you can utilize the built-in Bluetooth functionality if your PC has Bluetooth capability. Start by turning on both pairs of Bluetooth headphones and putting them in pairing mode. On your Windows 10 PC, go to the “Settings” menu, select “Devices,” and click on “Bluetooth & other devices.” Under the “Audio” section, click on “Add Bluetooth or other device” and choose the option for a Bluetooth headset.
Follow the on-screen instructions to connect your first pair of headphones. To connect the second pair, you can use a Bluetooth audio transmitter that supports Bluetooth 5.0. Alternatively, you can connect one pair of headphones using Bluetooth and the other using a wired connection. Remember, your PC must have Bluetooth capability or an adapter to connect more than two Bluetooth devices simultaneously.
Now you know how to connect two Bluetooth headphones to one PC, and a bonus method for running more than one audio device. We hope you found this little tutorial useful.
