You have probably encountered this all too repeatedly, plus the unbearable sound you get when making a call. All you can hear is your voice bouncing against your eardrums. Nothing sucks more than this when making phone conversations or headset recordings.
For example, when making a call with a friend, this can occur due to the faulty speaker or headset on the part of your friend. It can also happen when answering a call in a noisy environment. Now, the solutions to these problems require common fixes, which we will see shortly. We shall discuss the causes of hearing yourself in your headset below and how to eliminate this annoying sound.
Table of Contents
What is an Echo?
Echoes have the same definition, whether it’s happening on your computer or headset. An echo is a delay in relaying a sound resulting from the reflection that comes from another surface. To make it clearer, it’s like how you play football. It hits the wall and bounces back to your face. In the case of an echo, the sound wave moves out, hits a solid surface, and bounces back to the listener.
Regarding the echo that happens in the headset, it goes beyond only the sound reflection to a deeper process. For example, when you are in an online meeting on Skype, there is a reflection of sound from speakers, which can lead to an echo in the device. Other contributing factors are wrong audio settings, bad connection, or the headset’s audio quality. So, before troubleshooting, you should know the basics of the problem before fixing it.
Why Does Echo Occur On Headsets?
Each brand of headset is different, and depending on the manufacturing company and the settings of the device, fixing the hearing problem can be daunting. Before troubleshooting, find out the basis of the issue before repairing or replacing anything.
In your headset, sometimes the reason you can hear yourself is that the cyclical sound loop is echoing. The microphone and speakers often cause this. Once sound moves and enters the microphone and bounces back, you will hear yourself in the headset.
Causes of Hearing Yourself in Your Headset
- Noisy environment
When making a call in a noisy place with your headset, your microphone tends to pick up the background noise, thereby leading to an echo. This then causes you to hear the reverb of your voice.
- Faulty speaker or headset
Due to the faulty design of some headsets, when using it to either record or make a call, you might get feedback on your voice.
- Mic monitor
Mic monitor is a distinct quality of gaming headsets. This feature allows you to know the level of the sound of your voice, so when using a mic monitor, you may experience the sound of your reverberating voice.
- Microphone Boost
Some computers possess a unique feature called a microphone boost. This particular feature increases the volume of your voice and, in so doing, may cause your voice to reverberate in your headset.
- Other Activated Recording Devices
One of the reasons you might hear your voice in your headset might be because of other activated recording devices. Devices that possess this special feature are webcams and laptops. If you use your headset with the laptop microphone on, you will most likely get an echo feedback.
How To Fix The Problem Of Hearing Yourself In Your Headset
We established earlier that the problem of hearing your voice in your headset can easily be fixed. The methods to solve this problem are listed below, whether you are making a call with your headset or recording with it. Check them out here:
Avoid making or receiving calls in noisy environments
Avoid places with so much noise, such as carnivals or parties. Your headset’s microphone will pick up the background noise and amplify it. This will then result in the echo effect you are hearing.
Use noise-cancellation headsets
If you want to keep your voice from filtering into your headset speaker, opt for noise-cancellation headsets. These headsets are designed with a noise cancellation feature, which helps to drown out background noise. It measures the noise around your surrounding environment, then either cancels or softens it. In this way, you will get a good user experience without having to worry about echoes or hearing your voice in your headset.
Address the issue of a faulty speaker or headset
This can happen when making a call with a friend, and you experience the reverberation of your voice. If you are sure that the fault is not from your end, kindly ask your friend to move a little from his speaker because there is the possibility that the fault might have been a faulty headset or speaker.
Do away with low-quality headsets
Some headsets are made of poor quality. When you use them for making calls or recordings, they tend to perform poorly, which can be frustrating. Consequently, it is advisable to go for products of high quality, which will enhance your user experience.
Update your audio driver
Audio drivers are responsible for the smooth running of the audio properties in your computer. More importantly, audio drivers are used with sound cards. So, if you are having problems hearing yourself in your headset, then the solution is that you need to update your audio driver.
Disable microphone boost
The microphone boost is available on some computers and webcams. The purpose is to increase the volume of your voice so as to improve audio quality. However, since it can cause some bizarre echo, here’s how to fix it. Go to System > Sound. Open Sound control panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound. Then click on the ‘Recording tab’. Right-click-click on your headset and select ‘properties.’
Click the ‘levels’ tab in the Microphone properties window. Finally, turn off the ‘Microphone boost’ tab.
Deactivate other recording devices
These include the microphones in either your laptop or your webcam. To do this, click on the “sound control panel” on your computer. Click on the “Recording tab,” then select any device that is not your headset and deactivate it.
Employ noise insulation
If you record a podcast, it is advisable to use noise or sound insulation such as polymer foams or acoustic panels. These are materials used in most studios to absorb sound or noise. Polymer foams have porous textures, which help to prevent reverberation of sound.
Acoustic panels, on the other hand, are designed to enhance sound quality and not completely trap it. It acts more as a good absorber than a soundproof. It is highly efficient because it helps to soften harsh sounds. Acoustic panels are used mostly in studios, restaurants, churches, listening rooms, etc.
Consult an audio technician or expert
If you’ve got a broken or faulty headset, you should consult a headset technician or specialist. These specialists deal in the repair of headsets and also sell high-quality noise-cancelling ones. The audio technician is also concerned with connecting microphones, amplifiers, speakers, or anything related to sound.
Use Physical measures
If you are sure you don’t have a faulty mic speaker or headset, all you need to do is employ physical measures such as checking the plug-ins of the headset and cleaning it, especially if you are using a wired one.
Why Can I Hear Myself on my PS4 And PS5 Headset?
One of the reasons is probably because the volume of your headset is turned up too high. Therefore, the solution is to reduce the volume. Another reason is that the mic is highly sensitive, so it picks up sound from your PS and filters it into your headset.
Now, most headsets have noise cancellation features that deal with this problem, but if your headset does not possess this unique feature, then take the following steps:
- Gently move the headset from your phone
- Lower the output levels of the audio.
Frequently Asked Questions
After Turning Off The Sidetone, I Still Hear Myself. How Do I Resolve This?
It’s possible to still hear oneself even after fixing the sidetone issue. First, it could be an issue with the headset driver or the configuration. You can try starting the device again or reinstalling the headset drivers.
How Do I Cancel The Echo I Hear During Gaming?
The echo that happens when you are making a call or playing games is caused by the disparity between your voice going into the microphone and the sound coming out. You can stop it by changing the network settings or using the noise cancellation in the headset.
How Do I Stop Hearing Myself When Having a Meeting Online?
It’s very easy to stop hearing yourself if you are in a meeting online. All you need to do is to mute your microphone. Video apps for online meetings usually have a mute button, so you might want to use it here. Also, ensure that the headset you have has a noise isolation feature, which will help in stopping noise from escaping.
Can a Faulty Headset Be The Reason I Can Hear Myself After Turning Off The Sidenote?
Yes. There is a high chance that it could be the reason you can hear yourself even after the sidenote is turned off. Get help from your brand’s customer support, or you can replace the headset.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to find a solution to hearing yourself in a headset if you want to enjoy a seamless audio experience. There are a couple of things we have listed in this article that you can do to help you. For example, checking the device configuration, changing the audio settings, and using the noise-cancellation features, etc.
With these techniques, you can use the headset comfortably without experiencing self-echo. However, note that each brand is unique, and while some might have a seamless troubleshooting process, others will not. So, check in with your brand’s customer care if issues continue.
![My Discord Crashes when I Screen Share [These 7 Fixes to Try]](https://www.hollyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/my-discord-crashes-when-i-screen-share-these-7-fixes-to-try.jpg)
