Home >> Internet Games >> Xbox 360

How to Troubleshoot an Xbox Headset

If you notice a lack of sound, crackling, an echoing or a lack of response from your Xbox 360 headset, the device may need troubleshooting. Troubleshooting the headset can save you the trouble, cost and hassle of purchasing a new headset or contacting Microsoft for a replacement. Keep in mind that the Xbox 360 headset only plays and captures sounds made by players, meaning you won&'t hear any sounds or music from the game through the headset.

Things You'll Need

Rubbing alcohol
Cotton swab
Wireless headset USB charge cable
Two AA batteries

Instructions

- 1
  Turn down the volume on your TV, speakers or monitor.
- 2
  Adjust the volume of the headset using the dial on the headset cord (wired) or by pressing the "+" and "-" buttons on the earpiece (wireless) to see if this resolves the issue.
- 3
  Disconnect the headset from the controller (wired) and remove it from your head (wired, wireless).
- 4
  Clean the headset&'s connector (wired) by dipping a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and gently wiping away at the connector.
- 5
  Reconnect the headset to the controller (wired) or re-sync the headset (wireless) by pressing the sync button on the front of the Xbox 360 and then pressing the sync button on the headset.
- 6
  Connect the USB charging cable to the wireless headset and let it recharge before using or replace the batteries in your wireless controller if using a wired headset. It may take several hours for the wireless headset to recharge.
- 7
  Put the headset back on over your ear with the microphone pointing toward your mouth.
- 8
  Power on your Xbox 360 by pressing the guide button of the controller connected to the headset.
- 9
  Press the guide button while the console&'s powered on and select "Messages."
- 10
  Choose "Create New" and pick "Message," choosing a gamertag from the list or entering a new one.
- 11
  Choose "Add Voice," select "Record Message" and press the "A" button, speaking into the headset microphone for at least five seconds.
- 12
  Choose "Play Message" and listen to the message you just recorded to check the sound quality of your microphone.
- 13
  Press the guide button on the center of the controller and select "System."
- 14
  Choose "Family Settings" and pick "Xbox LIVE Controls."
- 15
  Pick a profile, choose the "Privacy and Friends" option and choose "Voice and Text" to edit your console&'s communication settings, selecting "Everyone" to enable open voice chat, "Friends Only" to only allow communication with friends and "Blocked" to disable the feature entirely.
- 16
  Press the guide button on the controller and choose "Settings."
- 17
  Choose "Preferences," select the "Voice" option and make sure the "Mute" option checkbox is cleared.

Xbox 360