I recently got a Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 laptop with a Snapdragon processor, and I've been having issues with the Bluetooth audio quality. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong or if it's a common problem. When I use my Bluetooth headphones, which are brand new Sony XM4s, the audio sounds really poor—like I'm listening through a cheap pair of earbuds. I don't think the headphones are to blame since they work perfectly on my phone, as do my old Jlab headphones. The sound on the laptop is great without the headphones, but the quality just drops when I connect them. This problem didn't exist when I first got the laptop, so I'm at a loss for what to do about it.
2 Answers
Bluetooth audio issues on laptops can stem from a few different factors like driver problems, interference from other devices, or incorrect audio settings. It's common for Bluetooth headphones to have sound quality issues that aren't seen on phones. A good first step is to check for Bluetooth driver updates on your laptop. If updating doesn't help, you might want to uninstall and reinstall the drivers to reset things. It could make a difference!
Make sure to check your audio output settings, too. Bluetooth headphones can have different modes that Windows sometimes messes up. If they show up as 'handsfree,' that means you're in a low-quality 'voice' mode, which is why audio sounds terrible. You need to switch them to 'headphone' mode, but keep in mind that doing so might disable the mic on your headphones. If you need both high-quality sound and a mic, getting a separate mic is the way to go.
Weirdly enough, my laptop doesn't even have those options! But it turned out to be a driver issue. Thanks for your help!
After 30 minutes of searching, I finally found the drivers section in settings, restarted them, and it's all fixed now! Thanks a lot!