How Can You Use Earbuds Mic On Your PC? (2020 Detailed Guide)

Computer headsets have any of the two types of connectors; either a mini plug or USB. The former is analog, and the latter is digital. If your PC has a connection with the speaker, when you connect a headset to the line out, or a headphone jack will produce only sound to the headset. For having a sound output to your headset and speakers, you have to use a USB headset or plug the headphones to a headphone jack on your PC.

USB Headset

Find an unused USB port of your PC and plug the USB connector into the USB port. Your PC must recognize and configure the headset for use and should display a notification message in the lower right corner.

Earphones versus Ear Beads

When you use a headphone with a built-in microphone, you can simultaneously listen to music and can talk on calls. Earbuds are a pair of tiny speakers, worn inside your ear. These are used at low volumes. Earphones come with cushion and fit comfortably to your ear. Earbuds have no cushion as they fir outside your ear canal. They are functionally synonymous.

Types and Uses

• In-ear Earphones are used for mobile phones or online games
• Bluetooth
• TWS earbuds
• The primary way to wear headphones

Microphone versus Headphone

A microphone converts acoustic sound waves into an electrical equivalence of the sound wave. It transfers sound signals into electrical signals. The headphone consists of a small pair of speakers to convert back the electrical signals into sound signals. It is an output device

Difference between Headphone, Headsets, & Earphones

These could be timed based on the quality of output sound and method of use

• Headphones deliver quality stereo sound for listening to music, games, or movies. If you are an audiophile, you can keep yourself isolated from sound with specially-designed ones

• The headset connects to the computer or telephone and allows the user to talk and listen even while keeping their hands free. They provide technical support and customer service center. The employee can type a piece of information into a computer while talking to a customer. Similarly, a gamer can communicate with another while playing his game.

• Earphones are speakers that fit directly into your ear. They hang over the ear.

Human Hearing

Human ears are sensory organs. They are what we hear. The ear-drum positioned in a flesh blob detects the sound processed by the human brain. The flesh blob Pinna plays a significant role in our ability to hear by directional sound. Speaker and microphone have polar patterns and shape variation with angle. Similarly, human ears modified the response of the sound according to the angle in which it enters the ears. Our brain uses this sound direction known as Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF).

Earbuds to record sounds

Mics and headsets adopt the same function by using the same instrumentality of diaphragm. They vibrate during speeches and are capable of converting sound signals into electrical signals. After that, they reconvert the electrical signals into audio signals and transmit through your PC as amplified songs or speeches. Therefore, you can speak to your earphone and record sounds.

If you build the mic for a particular purpose, you get a good quality of sound. If it is the pre-purposed headsets, the audio may not be of superior quality. Even if the output quality of the mic is not right, you can make it OK by setting certain parts of your PC.

Technical Similarity

Most earphones and earbuds have a 4-Band 3.5 mm TRRS connector. They have four sections, which are disconnected by three insulators. This has an audio channel (add-on) of a microphone input included in the stereo input. The earphone jacks and integrated microphone work well when you put the TRS plugs on your PC. Add an external adapter if they are separate in your PC. It then becomes a 3.5 mm microphone input connector. You need to talk loudly so that your computer picks up the sound.

Use Headphone Mic on PC

The microphone is the audio input. Jack on your PC and plug your earphones into the jack. Then, you are to open the Sound Control Panel. For that, Type “manage audio device” in the search box and click “Manage audio devices” in the result that opens. Click the Recording tab on it.

Blow or tap your earphones continuously. If the green bars react, your device is picking up the noise. You are sure that your impoverished microphone is listed and is in the working mode. Select it and then click the “Set Default” button. Then, select the OK button, and you can now use your earbud as a microphone.

Adjustment of Loudness of Microphone

For improving loudness, you need to take the following steps, one after the other.

• From “Sound” control panel, Select your microphone
• Click “Levels”

• Move “Microphone Boost” slider
• For louder sound, move to the right
• For quieter, move to the light
• Don’t boost too high, and else, it will produce clipped sound.

Listen or Speak

Plug your headphone audio-out port to listen to music and plug them into the microphone-in port to speak out. You can’t do both at a time, simultaneously.

Bluetooth

You can use Bluetooth If your headphone has it? But, it is meant for mobile devices only and not for any quality or latency. Some older gadgets have a line-in option of Bluetooth headphones. You can use them for application on your PC if you want to listen and speak simultaneously.

Solution for Simultaneous Actions

If your PC does not have an in/out headphone jack, the solution comes much cheaper. You can get a cheap adaptor for $6 from Amazon. It splits the signal into two. The audio signal goes to the drivers in your headphones and the audio signals that come from the microphone.

Plug your headphone into the female port and male ports into the required jacks on your PC. The microphone is colored pink, and headphones or speakers are green-color- coded. Then select the correct audio sources in Windows, and your problem is solved but without guarantee. For a reliable source, you may go in for an inexpensive USB sound card that offers a combined port for your PC.

Producing a karaoke sound

For creating a karaoke set through your PC’s microphone and speaker, you should amplify your voice for a presentation. Alternatively, you need to feed the wound from an external source. But you will find that Windows 8 does not output the audio automatically through the speaker.

You can change the setting of Windows 8 by adopting the following steps

• Step 1: Open the utility menu of Windows 8 by pressing “Windows X.” Then select “Control Panel.” As an alternative, search for “Control Panel” in Windows 8 and select it.
• Step 2: After clicking ‘Hardware and Sound”, select “Sound” and then choose the “Recording” tab. As an alternative, you may right-click the speaker icon from the notification area of the Desktop mode and select “Recording Devices.”
• Step 3: Double-click on your microphone icon to open its Microphone properties and select the “Listen” tab. If there is a list of more than one, tap the bar to produce sound. If it turns green, it will receive audio. If the right one is not listed, it indicates that it has been disabled… To enable it, right-click near the list “Show Disabled Services” and right-click on it.
• Step 4: If you want to feed sounds from your mic to your speaker, go to “Listen to This Device” and click “Apply.” If there is no sound, click “Playback through this Device” and select your speakers from the drop-down menu and click “Apply.”

Setting your headset on Windows 10

Put plug of the headset on to the available port. You have the following options.

• 3.5mm jack is an older version of the headset. Its cable ends with two jacks of 3.5mm; one for the audio and the other for microphone(Pink colored)
• USB-powered headsets have inline amps and controls
• Wireless or Bluetooth removes all cables.

A sound card on your motherboard improves the quality of sound. You can check it below.

• Left-click the sound icon on the taskbar
• From the drop-down menu, select “Sound Device”

• Select the Connected headset
• Fire up some media on the PC

If you hear sound through the headphones, it’s OK.

Record Your Voice

Take your microphone as the default input device.

• Right-click the “Sound” icon 
• Choose ‘Open Sound Settings”
• Select the Sound Control Panel on the right
• Choose the Recording tab
• Select the microphone
• Hit Set as Default
• Open the Properties Windows,
• Choose the Levels Tab
• Adjust the volume as required.

Troubleshooting Headset issues 

Use the right port. Select green color for jack for output and pink for input. Motherboards have many ports for surround sound. You can refer to the manual for the correct detail. 

Re-installing driver

If your headset is not working, the drivers you need to re-install them. Go to the Device Manager and uninstall the drivers for the connected headset. Reboot your PC and then connect the headset again to allow the Windows to re-install; them. It works.

Select different formats

If still does not work, select a different format or input/output in the property Windows (above steps)

Don’t be muted

Some brands may support controls positioned on the cable. You can easily access the mute button and volume slider here. Be sure to put them for use…

Try a different headset

Use it for another PC. You can plug in another headset

Switch Audio Outputs

When you plug your UB headphones, it automatically switches, and the audio plays through your headphones. Sometimes, it does not. In that case, switch it on manually. If you are playing a program, it may continue playing on the loudspeakers after you switch on the headphones.

• For Windows, right-click on the volume button available in your system tray and choose “Playback Devices” Choose your headphone from the list and click “Set Default,” then Apply.
• For Mac, hold the Opt key and click the volume in the menu bar. Choose your headphones from the list to the device.

Suitability of Amplifier

Earbuds and small headphones do not befit from the amplifier. Professional with “high impedance” heap hones may benefit because they get more power to output at suitable volumes. However, you can benefit from your PC if it has a built-in Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC).

If you want to listen to lossless music, you should audio editing on the PC.

• If you have an external DAC, connect it to your motherboard using an S/PDIF cable. You get the best quality of music
• Instead of DAC, you can use an internal sound card for video games.
• If your DAC and amplifier are separate, you should connect the DAC to your PC, the amplifier to the DAC, and your headphones to the amplifier.

Favorite Music

A prompt will show asking you to select your favorite music. Select the one you have plugged in.

Protecting Your Ears

Your ears may be hurt if the sound is too loud. If it is not, put your headphone on a bunch of books having the size of your head or a little wider. Ensure that you keep the earbud let on the book. After a few days, it will be comfortable

Earbud mic is a tiny audio device and can be used as a mic on PC. It facilitates the dual role of listening and speaking. Thus, it finds applicability in customer services. A computer restrains the listening or speaking even when the user using it. The headset with an earbud inside it adds to the functionality of a computer. But, it is essential that you know the basics of this integrated device and takes full advantage of it.