How do I adjust my settings to keep background noise from being heard through my microphone and overpowering my phone calls?

Question

When I am on the phone the person on the other end can hear whatever and whomever is in the background SO loudly and clearly through my microphone on my headset to the point that they hang up and tell me to call them later. I can't even hear what is going on in my office and the recipient on the other end of my call is so upset and aggravated they hang up. I can't figure out why this is. I have purchased so many headsets. Expensive and non expensive. HELP please, and thank you.

Answer 1

Hello Denise Laughery,

What you are describing is not a headset hardware defect but an audio processing issue on the PC or phone that is driving the headset. Modern headsets, even inexpensive ones, rarely amplify background noise to the level you’re describing unless the system is bypassing noise suppression or incorrectly selecting the microphone input. The fact that you’ve tried multiple headsets and the behavior is identical points to the operating system or telephony application configuration.

On Windows 11, check under Settings > System > Sound > Input and confirm which microphone is active. If you see multiple devices (for example, “Headset Microphone” and “Stereo Mix” or “Array Microphone”), Windows may be defaulting to the wrong input. Stereo Mix or array microphones will capture the entire room and feed it into the call. Make sure the headset’s dedicated microphone is selected as the default input device.

Next, verify that audio enhancements are enabled. In the same Sound settings, select your headset microphone, go to Device Properties > Additional device properties, and under the “Advanced” tab ensure that “Enable audio enhancements” is checked. Windows 11 includes built‑in noise suppression, but if this is disabled, the microphone will transmit raw audio including background conversations.

If you are using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or another VoIP client, check the in‑app audio settings. Teams, for example, has its own noise suppression setting under Settings > Devices > Noise suppression. If this is set to “Off,” background noise will be transmitted exactly as you describe. Set it to “Auto” or “High” to reduce background pickup.

Finally, confirm that you are not inadvertently using the headset in “open mic” mode. Some USB headsets expose both a communications device and a general audio device. If the application is bound to the wrong one, it may bypass echo cancellation and noise suppression. Binding the app to the “Headset (Communications)” device usually resolves this.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

Domic Vo.