Ever since I upgraded to Windows 11, I've been dealing with some really strange audio problems that I can't seem to shake off. Initially, I thought my Focusrite Solo and headphones were the issue, so I even returned them and replaced the cables. But now I'm not so sure. For example, when listening to videos where people are talking, the sound seems stuck in my left ear. Interestingly, enabling Mono audio in the settings centers the sound a bit but causes another issue that I can only describe as 'shearing', where the audio feels choppy or cut off at random moments.
Here's everything I've tried:
- RMA'd my Sennheiser 599 headphones, so now I have two pairs.
- Replaced the cables for both the Focusrite and the Sennheisers.
- Changed my motherboard and CPU after they failed in November.
- Tested my headphones on other devices (a phone, a family member's computer, and a tablet) without issues.
- Reinstalled audio drivers more times than I can count.
- Swapped power plans.
- Checked with LatencyMon for any bottlenecks—none were found.
- Checked the health of my SSD, and that's fine too.
My current setup is:
- Headphones: Sennheiser 599 with Gen 4 Focusrite Scarlett Solo
- CPU: Ryzen 7 5800XT
- Motherboard: MAG B550 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI
Any assistance would really be appreciated!
4 Answers
Since your audio problems started right after the upgrade, one thing to try would be rolling back or completely reinstalling your audio drivers. Also, turn off any enhancements in your speaker settings. Make sure to check the options to allow apps to take exclusive control and disable all enhancements. Is the issue affecting all apps or just a few?
You might also consider downgrading to Windows 10 if the issues just seem insurmountable. Many users have had success finding stability on the older version since some say Windows 11 has had a lot of bugs since the updates started introducing AI code.
If you remove the Focusrite from the setup and plug your headphones directly into the motherboard’s audio output, do you still experience the same issues? Sometimes going directly through the motherboard can help isolate the problem.
I had similar experiences with a Focusrite Scarlett Solo Gen 4 on an AMD build. After endless troubleshooting with their support, the only solution that worked for me was switching to a USB C to C cable instead of the USB A that came with it. If you have USB C ports, I’d recommend trying that! It made a huge difference for me.
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