Sony WH-1000XM4 connection issue with Microsoft TEAMS

Question

My Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have suddenly stopped working with Microsoft Teams. When I attempt to connect, I get a loud, super distorted sound - very metallic and digital. I have updated the drivers on the headphones and followed the advice on the Microsoft Q and A, including all the settings advices, plus deleting the headphones and re-installing them - they are still not working and the fault is still present. Is there any updated guidance regarding enabling SONY WH-1000XM4 and Microsoft Teams to work correctly please? Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Hello @Phillip Townend

Because the two systems are built differently and not officially certified to work together, occasional compatibility issues may occur.

1/ Disable "Hands-Free Telephony" at the Service Level 

• Go to Window Search Bar
• Search for "Bluetooth & devices" category from the left side.
• Now, click "Devices".
• Scroll down and click on the "More devices and printers settings".
• Right-click on your Bluetooth device and select "Properties".
• Go to the "Services" tab.
• If the "Handsfree Telephony" checkbox is already selected, the option is enabled. To disable it, uncheck the checkbox.
• Click Apply and then click OK.

Note: After doing this, you may need to use your laptop's built-in microphone or a dedicated external mic, as the headphones' mic is part of that "Hands-free" service you just disabled. 

2) Issue caused by Multipoint (connecting to two devices simultaneously) 

Many users have reported that the WH‑1000XM4 produces distorted or noisy audio during Microsoft Teams meetings, and disabling the multipoint feature immediately resolves the problem. 

Open the Sony - Headphones Connect app -> turn off “Enable multipoint connections” -> turn off Speak‑to‑Chat if it is enabled. 

3/ Adjust Microsoft Teams Noise Suppression 

Since the WH-1000XM4 already has industry-leading Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), having Teams perform "AI Noise Suppression" on top of it can lead to "double-processing" artifacts, making your voice sound robotic or distorted. 

• In Microsoft Teams, click the three dots (...) next to your profile picture and select "Settings. 
• Go to "Devices. 
• Scroll down to "Noise Suppression". 
• Change this to "Off. 

If the issue still occurs, you can try switching to a different device to ensure your work continues smoothly.

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Answer 2

Follow these steps to troubleshoot distorted audio from Sony WH‑1000XM4 in Microsoft Teams on Windows:

1. Verify Windows sound output
   1. From Start, search and select Sound settings.
   2. Go to System > Sound.
   3. Under Choose where to play sound, select the Sony WH‑1000XM4 output that corresponds to stereo/media playback (not “Hands‑Free” if both appear). If it does not appear, select Add device and pair again.
   4. Next to Volume, confirm the device is not muted and test system audio (outside Teams) to ensure it plays clearly.
2. Check Teams device selection
   1. Open Microsoft Teams.
   2. Select Settings and more (to the left of the profile picture) > Settings > Devices.
   3. Under Audio devices, explicitly select the Sony WH‑1000XM4 device that matches the working Windows output.
   4. Ensure the same device is selected for Speaker and the correct input is selected for Microphone.
   5. Use the Test call option (if available) to verify sound quality.
3. Re‑enable audio device in Windows Distortion can sometimes be related to a misconfigured or partially disabled device.
   1. In Sound settings, go to Advanced > More sound settings.
   2. On the Playback tab, confirm the Sony device is enabled (no down arrow icon). If disabled, right‑click and select Enable.
   3. On the Recording tab, confirm the chosen microphone device is enabled as well.
4. If using Remote Desktop If Teams is running in a Remote Desktop session, incorrect remote audio settings can cause issues.
   1. From Start, search Remote Desktop Connection.
   2. Open it and select the Local Resources tab.
   3. Under Remote audio, select Settings….
      • Under Remote audio playback, choose Play on this computer.
      • Under Remote audio recording, choose Record from this computer.
   4. Select OK and reconnect, then test Teams again.
5. Update and repair audio stack
   1. Ensure Windows is fully updated using Windows Update.
   2. In Device Manager, confirm the Bluetooth and audio drivers are installed and working. If they are missing or show errors, install or update them from the PC manufacturer.
   3. If audio devices disappear or behave erratically, reinstalling or updating the audio driver has resolved similar issues for other users.

If distortion persists only in Teams while other apps sound normal, re‑check that Teams is not using a low‑bandwidth “Hands‑Free” profile for output while Windows is using the high‑quality stereo profile. Aligning both to the same working device profile typically resolves metallic/digital distortion.

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References:

• My speaker isn't working in Microsoft Teams
• My microphone isn't working in Microsoft Teams
• Fix sound or audio problems in Windows
• Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows
• How to fix this. no audio device is installed - Microsoft Q&A
• My audio inputs and outputs suddenly disappeared, how do i fix this? - Microsoft Q&A
• I don't see an audio input device - Microsoft Q&A