How can I charge my wireless headset over USB without switching it to USB audio?
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MellowPine42
I bought a Logitech A20 X and normally use it through the Lightspeed wireless dongle. The headset also supports USB and Bluetooth, but I want to use Lightspeed exclusively. When I plug the headset into my computer with USB to charge it, Windows detects a separate USB audio device, which confuses applications like Discord and OBS. Disabling the USB playback and recording devices does not help—the headset tries to switch to USB, fails, and remains in an error state until I unplug the cable or re-enable those devices. Is there a way to let the computer provide power for charging while preventing the USB connection from carrying data or being treated as an audio device?
Answers
You could try managing the headset entries in Device Manager or set your applications to prefer the Lightspeed device, but that may not stop the headset firmware from attempting to switch modes when a data-capable USB cable is connected. A cable with the data lines physically disconnected is the more reliable solution.
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The simplest fix is a charge-only USB cable. These cables have the power wires connected but omit the data wires, so the headset can charge without being detected as a USB audio device. Search for a “USB charge-only cable” or “USB data blocker.”
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You can also charge it from a regular wall charger or another USB power source instead of the computer. Since the headset only needs a small amount of power, a basic USB charger should be enough and will avoid the wireless-to-USB switching entirely.
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MellowPine42: That makes sense. I’ll try a charge-only cable first since it should let the computer power the headset without creating another audio device.