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BenjaminG's avatar
BenjaminG
Copper Contributor
Jul 31, 2025

Bluetooth Headphones connect to everything but my computer

Hello,

I have recently made a big purchase getting some good quality bluetooth headphones for my devices. Connecting them to my computer has proven to be the most painful experience of my life. I will list the things I have tried shortly, but I must say that I was unable to return the headphones for a refund due to the obvious fact that they work with all my other bluetooth devices; the issue is with the computer itself. So I don't want to hear anyone tell me here that it's an issue with the headphones.

I also know some people always ask for my computer specs, so here they are:
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro - Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631
Gigabyte Z590 UD AC Motherboard
11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11700K @ 3.60GHz, 3600 Mhz, 8 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s)
BT-23.150.0-64UWD-Win10-Win11 Bluetooth Intel Driver
tp-link UB5A V2.0 Bluetooth Adaptor

The problem at first wasn't with the inability to connect, but rather the poor connection my headphones had with this 2021 computer. It seems that 2021 technology was caveman because I found the direction my headphones were orented within 1° decided if the audio came through or not. I have this captured on video and can easily demonstrate the flawless connection it has with my phone in comparison. I could not step 3 feet from the computer without it losing connection too, whereas my phone can stay connected to the headphones with 3 rooms of distance between them.

So, I have tried everything from:

  • Turning bluetooth on (yes, everywhere I go on the internet has made the genius deduction that step one should be checking that I have turned bluetooth on)
  • Turning the headphones on and into pairing mode (yes, everywhere I go on the internet has made the genius deduction that step two should be checking that I have turned the headphones and pairing mode on)
  • Disconnecting all other bluetooth devices around me, leaving just the headphones and PC to pair.
  • Updating my bluetooth drivers
  • Reinstalling old bluetooth drivers
  • Updating my bluetooth drivers again
  • Troubleshooting my bluetooth
  • "Repairing" my bluetooth (troubleshoot says I have a bluetooth driver issue - someone give this thing a medal)
  • Updating my bluetooth drivers because there is an issue apparently
    still not fixed...
  • Removing headphones from bluetooth in device manager then re-pairing them (doesn't work; trying to disconnect them from my PC's list of devices comes back with "That didn't work. Make sure your Bluetooth device is discoverable, then try again.")
  • Moving my computer to a more open, direct and uninterrupted pathway to the headphones
  • Placing the headphones in contact with the computer to ensure maximum proximity and theoretically no connection drop-off.
  • Purchasing a bluetooth adaptor to extend the range of my computer's bluetooth (tp-link UB5A V2.0 Bluetooth Adaptor)
  • Installing new bluetooth drivers for the tp-link UB5A V2.0 Bluetooth Adaptor
    still not fixed... And in fact, the headphones simply cannot connect to my computer at all now...
  • Removing tp-link UB5A V2.0 Bluetooth Adaptor from computer
  • Uninstalling tp-link UB5A V2.0 Bluetooth Adaptor driver
  • Reinstalling old bluetooth drivers for Intel Bluetooth
  • Troubleshooting my bluetooth
  • "Repairing" my bluetooth (says I have a bluetooth driver issue)
  • Updating my bluetooth drivers because there is an issue apparently
    still not fixed...
  • Coming back onto the Internet for help
  • Turning bluetooth on (yes, everywhere I go on the internet has made the genius deduction that step one should be checking that I have turned bluetooth on)
  • Turning the headphones on and into pairing mode (yes, everywhere I go on the internet has made the genius deduction that step two should be checking that I have turned the headphones and pairing mode on)

    Throughout this entire process, the bluetooth headphones have maintained the ability to connect to all other bluetooth devices when I place it into pairing mode. I have also restarted my computer everytime I install and uninstall a driver and in between that a couple of times.

    Once more, I cannot return these headphones to the store I purchased them from due to the simple fact that the device is fully functional with other bluetooth devices. I have tried purchasing an adaptor to throw money at the solution, but this too has not worked. Selecting the headphones in my bluetooth menu shows these messages;
    "Couldn't Connect"
    "That didn't work. Make sure your Bluetooth device is discoverable, then try again." - both in attempts to connect and disconnect/"forget" the device

    Not that it is relevant, but the headphones I am using are the JBL Tour One M2.

4 Replies

  • Goanime's avatar
    Goanime
    Iron Contributor

    If possible, try a different external Bluetooth dongle (preferably one with a different chipset, e.g., Broadcom instead of Intel) to rule out hardware compatibility issues.

    • BenjaminG's avatar
      BenjaminG
      Copper Contributor

      how would a 2nd dongle rule it out if the first one I just bought wont? My dongle is TP-Link; not Intel

  • Evenglow's avatar
    Evenglow
    Iron Contributor

    Some onboard Bluetooth chips, particularly older Intel models, are known to have issues with certain headphones. Consider testing with a high-quality, Bluetooth 5.0+ USB dongle (like those from ASUS, Avantree, or TP-Link) with good Linux support or Windows drivers.

    • BenjaminG's avatar
      BenjaminG
      Copper Contributor

      literally wrote in the post I tried using a Bluetooth 5.3 TP-Link adapter