How To Use 2 Headphones At Once On Windows 10

Have you ever wondered if you and your friend could listen to 2 separate songs at the same time? Many of us would not because they are happy to use one headphone at a time. However, there are some ways that you can actually do this and it is really useful.

In this article, we will look at how to use two headphones on PC or how to use 2 headphones at once on windows 10. In addition to this, you will find the following information as well:

• Types of Headphones
• Uses of Headphones
• How to connect headphones on PC?
• How to use speakers and headphones at the same time?

Headphones have become a mandatory part of our lives. From young kids to adults, everybody enjoys listening to music, watching videos and movies while enjoying the sound through headsets. However, people face problems while connecting multiple output devices on computers at one time and spend hours trying to fix this issue. In this guide, we will tell you some simple ways to solve this problem of listening from 2 headphones on 1 PC!

How To Use 2 Headphones At Once On Windows 10

Types of Headphones

Before we dive into the details of how to use two headsets on PC, let’s explore the different types of headphones that are available today:

• In Ear Headphones

These are the most popular form of headphones people use today. They are small in size and cheap in price which makes them convenient to use. The sound quality is decent for daily uses and you can carry them easily in your pockets and use them with mobile phones anywhere. Different variants come in various bud styles. Most in ear headphones have buttons to control the volume and have mute option as well. They are commonly available in 3.5 mm and USB type C connectors.

• On Ear Headphones

If you like good sound quality, on ear headphones is a perfect choice because they are fit on top of your ears and provide detailed sound with multiple adjustments. They can have an in built microphone as well which you can use while audio recording. They are larger in size than the in-ear headsets and mostly made from plastic for the inside part. However, these devices do not remove background sounds.

•  Over Ear Headphones

If you are a serious user and want no interruptions while listening to sounds or audio streaming, then over the ear headphones are made for you. These types of devices are made to fully cover your ear so that no background sound enters. The inside material is made from foam or velvet to provide maximum comfort. They are available as 3.5 mm or USB headphones which allow good versatility.

• Wireless Headphones

One of recent developments in headphones industry is the wireless devices. They are connected via Bluetooth on mobiles or PCs. The biggest benefit is that you do not need to mess around with long wires. You can enjoy the same quality sound as wired headsets but with more portability. Latest adoptions of these devices include even smaller earphones like Air pods which can be attached to your ear while you barely notice them!

Uses of Headphones

Although most of you may know about the uses of headphones, we shall still list them there so that the user can go through them easily:

• Listening to music
• Listening to audio on videos and movies
• Listening to podcasts/interviews
• Using microphones for video calls/live streaming
• Lowering the background noises

Why Do You Need 2 Headsets in 1 PC?

There is often a single PC at home and multiple candidates for its use. Although smart phones have reduced the needs for computers but there are still many applications that you can run on computers only. Moreover, people prefer to watch movies on big screen and listen to music while they are working on some other stuff.

Apart from this, your family members may want to listen to some songs as well while you are using the PC which means that you need multiple sound output options. Therefore, you need to know how to use 2 headphones on PC because it will really help you in such situations!

How to use 2 headphones on PC- Windows 10, 8 and 7

Now, let’s begin with the steps needed to utilise 2 headphones in 1 PC:

Method 1

• Use Windows Sound Settings

1. The first step is to connect both the headphones on the computer. If you are using a laptop, you must ensure that it has the necessary ports available.
2. Go to the start menu and open “Sound” icon from it. It also appears on the bottom right hand side on the taskbar.

3. Once it opens, you will see a list of playback devices. Select the default device to speakers.

4. On the right of playback button, you will see “recording” tab. Open it and you will see a list of devices like microphones, headphones and stereo mix. Sometimes, stereo mix does not show up in the list. For that, you have to tick on show disabled devices so that all are displayed.

 

5. The next step is to click on the stereo mix tab and open its properties.
6. In the properties, you have to go to the listen tab and select the option for “Listen to this device”.
7. Select the option for audio device in the pop down list below i.e Headphones
8. Apply these changes and close the box to enjoy audio from 2 headsets.

Method 2

• Use a USB audio Slitter

There is another method to use double headphones at once. All you need is a 3.5 mm or USB headphone splitter which has multiple output ports to connect 2 or more headsets. You can purchase these devices at less than $10 and they come in various forms. These include USB-USB connectors, USB-3.5 mm connectors, 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm connectors as well as other choices. Most users like to connect their microphones to the second port while they are audio streaming or video calling.

Method 3

• Use a third party application/software

With the development of millions of applications and softwares, there is almost anything you can wish for in the virtual world. There are several audio related applications which can edit the sounds and allow usage of multiple outputs at a single time. Most computers are equipped with Realtek audio chips inside which have several options built in.

If there is an audio manager available from Realtek on your PC, then you can use it to adjust the sound settings otherwise you can also download it easily. Apart from this, you can always download additional plug-ins for Windows 10 or others so that you are updated from all the latest features.

 One of the Softwares which you can use for 2 headphones on 1 PC is “Voicemeeter”. This is a great application for audio mixing and using different output devices at once.  You can use it to transfer the incoming signals to a output cable as well. Moreover, you can adjust the volume, bass, treble, frequency gain and several other features from the simple interface as shown below.

Apart from this, there are many other softwares as well which you can use to enjoy more than 1 audio devices at a single time. However, users must beware of viruses while downloading these softwares from the internet.

How to use speakers and headphones on at the same time?

Apart from simultaneously using 2 headphones, you may find yourself in situations where you like to hear the sound from the speakers and headsets at once. Imagine if you are preparing some presentation with your friends and you have a single PC. You may want to watch an online tutorial from Youtube while your friend works on the slides and listens to them one by one. In this scenario, you can use one audio output from speaker and another from the headphone so that both tasks are done without wasting time.

The procedure is very simple. You just have to follow the steps below:

1. The first step is to connect both the headphones and speakers on the computer. If you are using a laptop, you must ensure that it has the necessary ports available. In most laptops, there is a single audio jack so you would need a desktop computer or additional accessory port for this purpose.
2. Go to the start menu and open “Sound” icon from it. It also appears on the bottom right hand side on the taskbar.
3. Once it opens, you will see a list of playback devices. Select the default device to speakers.
4. On the right of playback button, you will see “recording” tab. Open it and you will see a list of devices like microphones, headphones and stereo mix. Sometimes, stereo mix does not show up in the list. For that, you have to tick on show disabled devices so that all are displayed.
5. The next step is to click on the stereo mix tab and open its properties.
6. In the properties, you have to go to the listen tab and select the option for “Listen to this device”.
7. Select the option for audio device in the pop down list below i.e Headphones and Speakers.
8. Apply these changes and close the box to enjoy audio from headsets and speakers at once.

Recommendations on how to use 2 headphones at once

Although, it would be quite rare that you come across a situation where you want to listen to 2 headphones at a single time, we are here to tell you that it is possible in the world of technology. You should keep the following points in mind while practicing it:

• Always buy headphones from reliable brands. Cheap headsets tend to break down often which causes lots of problems when you actually need them.
• Try to use Windows features for dual audio output at a single time. They are easiest and safest to do.
• Do not download third party applications from sources that you don’t trust. It is a cause of viruses on your computer.
• Do not listen with high volume on your headsets. It may damage your hearing ability.
• When buying a laptop, always search for the number of ports available and the compatibility it has with various accessories. Modern laptops have minimum number of ports so it is not always easy for 2 headsets 1 PC.

Conclusion

The development of portable devices has enabled people to enjoy various forms of entertainment and work on projects at the same device. People like privacy while listening to their favourite music or watching videos, especially if you are sharing rooms with your friends or family. However, due to several constraints, some people may have limited access to computers so they have to share the devices. Sharing the headphones can be a problem for many because nobody likes to give their headsets to others. You can solve this issue if you know how to use two headphones on PC simultaneously.

In this article, we have explored the types of headphones and their special features. Then, we have seen the reasons for 2 headsets, 1 PC before we have learnt the methods for using this feature. 3 methods have been described to solve the issue. The first one is to use the inherent Windows features for sound. In most cases, this will be enough to do the job. If there is still some problem, users can install softwares from the internet and use them for multiple audio outputs. You can also purchase USB audio splitters to connect 2 or more headsets at a single time!

Users are requested to go through this article in detail and choose the best option for them. Please let us know about your thoughts in the comments section below!