How to Control Pops on a Gaming Headset

Introduction:

If you're a gamer, you know that pops are the worst. They can break your concentration, cost you a match, and generally ruin your gaming experience. Here's how to control them on a gaming headset.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Gaming headsets can greatly improve your gaming experience by providing surround sound and chat capabilities. However, if you are experiencing pops or other sound quality issues, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot and hopefully fix the problem. First, check your EQ settings and auxiliary cable port on the headset itself to ensure that it is set up properly. If you are using a Windows PC, you may need to update your headset’s audio driver to eliminate crackling and other quality problems. Additionally, you can reduce your microphone sensitivity to avoid extra background sound from your environment and keep the microphone slightly away from your face.

How to Fix Popping on Your Headset

Are you experiencing pops and crackles on your headset when gaming? If so, you're not alone. Pops can be a common issue on gaming headsets, but luckily they're usually pretty easy to fix. This article will give you a few tips on how to control pops on your headset.

If you have a wired headset, it plugs directly into the USB port on your device. The first troubleshooting step you should try is making sure your headphones' cable is fully plugged into the audio jack on your controller, laptop, or computer. This will reduce sound from the cable moving and create a better connection between the audio jack and the plug of your headphones. You can also try wiggling the cable around a bit to see if that helps.

Insider Tip

If you're experiencing popping sounds when you're gaming, there may be a simple solution. The first thing you should do is check to make sure your headset's cable is plugged in all the way to the audio jack. If that doesn't take care of the issue, there are a couple of additional things you can try. One is adjusting your equalizer (EQ) settings. Another is updating your driver. If your gaming teammates are commenting on a popping sound coming from your audio, you may need to reduce the sensitivity of your microphone or pull it away from your face some.

Method 1: How to Update a Driver on a PC

Updating your device drivers is one of the easiest ways to resolve audio issues. This process usually only takes a few minutes and can be completed on most Windows 10 PCs. Here's how to get started:
First, click on the Start menu and select "Settings."
From there, go to "Update & Security" and then "Windows Update."
Next, click on "Check for updates" and allow the PC to download any available updates.
Once the updates are installed, restart your PC and then open the Device Manager.
Find your gaming headset under "Sound, video and game controllers" and right-click on it.
Select "Update Driver Software…" and then choose "Search automatically for updated driver software."
The PC will automatically download and install the latest driver software for your headset.

STEP 1

STEP 1: Open the “Start” menu. This menu now features a Windows symbol instead of the word start, but it is the same menu. If you have your computer in tablet mode, clicking on this logo will pull up tiles instead of the traditional start menu.

STEP 2

If your computer didn’t automatically open the Device Manager, you can find it yourself by opening the Start Menu and typing “Device Manager.” Whichever setup you have on your PC, you can start typing without clicking into a box to type. In fact, you don’t even have to type the whole phrase if you don’t want to. Your computer should still show it as a match.

STEP 3

If you are using a gaming headset with a 3.5mm audio jack, you may experience popping sounds when the volume is turned up too high. Thankfully, there is a fix for this.
 
Double-click on "Audio Inputs and Outputs." The feature will show all of your input and output devices. You may have to find your headset within the list. If the following steps do not work, you may need to uninstall your device from this menu and reinstall it for wireless headsets or USB headsets.

STEP 4

STEP 4: Right-click on your headset’s option and choose “Test Speakers”. This will play a sound through your headset. If you don’t hear anything, your headset may be muted. Check the mute button on the bottom of the left earcup. If it’s not muted, click the troubleshoot tab and follow the steps to update your audio drivers.

STEP 5

STEP 5 - Open the “Update Drivers” window and choose “Browse my computer for drivers.” If your driver software is on your hard drive, it will find the most applicable one. If not, you may download a headphone-specific driver from your manufacturer’s website. To find this driver, check your manufacturer’s website.

STEP 6

When you get to the Select Device window, you will see a list of drivers. Choose the driver highest on the list and click “Next.”

STEP 7

STEP 7: Close the window once the update is completed. After the update has been completed, it is important to close the window to prevent any further issues.

STEP 8

STEP 8: Check your sound settings. Assuming that your headset is functioning properly, the pops might be coming from your computer. If you're using a PC and you're experiencing pops, it's likely that your sound settings are to blame. You can check this by going into your Control Panel and finding the power settings. You may find this option easier in tile view. If you're using a Mac, you can find the sound settings by going to System Preferences > Sound. If you're using an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Sound & Haptics. Once you're in the sound settings, look for anything that might be causing an issue with your audio. This could be an equalizer setting or an issue with the volume. If you find anything that looks suspicious, try changing the setting and see if that resolves the issue.

STEP 9

STEP 9: If you’re still encountering pops and crackling sounds, try switching your audio output from “Stereo Mix” to “Highest Performance.” To do this, follow these steps:
-Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
-Type “sound” into the search bar and click on the Sound Control Panel that pops up.
-Under the Playback tab, select your headphones or speakers under the Devices heading.
-Click on the Configure button.
-Select the highest quality setting under the drop-down menu next to Driver Type.
-Click OK.
-Restart your device.

Method 2: How to Change the Xbox Settings For Crackling

Method 2: How to Change the Xbox Settings For Crackling If you're still experiencing pops on your gaming headset, try changing your Xbox audio settings. This is a quick and easy process that should only take a few minutes. Here's what you need to do: 1. Start by turning on your Xbox One and navigating to the Settings tab.
2. Select the Sound tab and scroll down to the Headset mic section.
3. Make sure the setting is changed to "All audio."
4. Save your changes and exit out of the menu.
5. Test your headset by talking into the mic and listening to the audio. You should now be free of any annoying pops!

STEP 1

STEP 1: Open the Xbox menu by pressing the Xbox button on the Xbox One controller. STEP 2: Navigate to System > Settings > Devices > Audio devices. STEP 3: Under Output, select your preferred audio output device.

STEP 2

After going to the home screen, select the “Settings” icon in the top-left corner of the screen. From there, select “Network settings”. You may need to sign in with your PSN account if you have not already done so.

STEP 3

The third step is to change your MAC address. To do this, select “Advanced Settings” and then “Alternate MAC Address.” This will allow you to change the MAC address of your headset. You can either use the default MAC address or choose one of your own.

STEP 4

STEP 4: Clear your settings and restart the software to ensure the process works. If you've completed all of the steps and are still experiencing pops, it's likely that your headset is not configured properly. To troubleshoot, you can clear your settings and restart the software. This will ensure that your device is setup properly and that all of the necessary drivers are installed. If you're still experiencing pops after following these steps, please reach out to our support team for additional assistance.

Method 3: How to Control Pops on a Microphone for a Gaming Headset

So you're gaming and you keep getting those annoying pops in your headset. You've probably tried all of the methods mentioned in the first two sections, but they still happen. Don't worry, we've still got your back. The final method is to use the audio controls on your preferred gaming device. This is probably the easiest method of them all, and it's a quick five-minute fix. Make sure your gaming device is connected to your headset and open up the audio controls. You should see a volume slider as well as a few other options. Find the one that says "Mono" or "Stereo." If it's set to Mono, change it to Stereo. This will split the audio signal into two and cancel out any popping noises.

Step 1

The first step is to enter your sound settings from the settings menu or your headset’s software. Head to the Control Panel on your PC, and click on Hardware and Sound. Under the Sound tab, select Manage Audio Devices. Now, select your playback device (which is likely Speakers) and click Properties. You should see a dialog box with multiple tabs; select the Enhancements tab. Tick the box that says Disable all enhancements, and click Apply.

Step 2

If your microphone pops every time you make a sound, it might be due to too much sensitivity. This is easy to fix. Just find the bar representing the microphone sensitivity and slide it to the left. This will decrease the microphone's sensitivity and hopefully stop the popping.

Step 3

The next step is to check your audio using the microphone test option. This will give you a general idea of the quality of your mic and whether there are any pops or sound issues. From here, you can adjust the settings on your headset until the audio sounds clear. For example, if you're getting a lot of pops, try reducing the microphone boost on your headset or lowering the volume on your computer.

Step 4

4. Save your changes and enjoy. After you have made all of the necessary adjustments, be sure to save your settings. When you're ready to game, just plug in your headset and enjoy the improved audio quality!

Conclusion:

Whether you're a PC gamer or a console gamer, we all know that one thing that can ruin our gaming experience - popping. Popping is that irritating sound that happens when the audio cuts in and out, and it can be caused by a number of things - from an unstable connection to hardware issues. If you're experiencing popping while gaming, don't worry - we're here to help. In this article, we'll walk you through how to fix popping on your headset, step-by-step.