Even if you’ve got the best headphones for video editing that fully suit your needs, you still might need to connect another pair to your computer. That could be for sharing your video or audio content with others (but not with everyone around you) or testing the output of different headphones from the same source.

Still, not all computers support two AUX jacks or the simultaneous Bluetooth connection for audio devices. The MAC OS is more user-friendly than Windows when it comes to dual-headphone connections, and it is also faster to set up. Still, it’s possible to get your headphones working at once on almost any PC. Want to know how to use two headphones on a PC? Scroll down and find a suitable way!

Types of Headphone Connection

There are several connectors used on modern headphones. Besides, many models implement wireless technology as well. In general, types of headphones connection go as follows:

  • analog jack (3.5mm and 6.35mm);
  • USB connector (mostly, USB Type-C);
  • Bluetooth.

Let’s see how to use two headsets on a PC for each type of connection that your headphones might support.

via Bluetooth

The Windows OS doesn’t support the option of the direct dual headphones connection via Bluetooth. There are, however, ways to make it work:

Install a Bluetooth adapter

  1. Take a Bluetooth adapter and insert it into the USB-A slot of your PC. 
  2. Follow the installation procedure, if any (in most cases it is automatic). 
  3. Activate Bluetooth on one of your headphones and wait until it pairs with the adapter. Repeat with another pair of headphones.

Use the audio mixer app

  1. Download and install the audio workstation app. 
  2. Open the Device settings and select the Output submenu. 
  3. Choose the Wireless/Bluetooth as a connection option. 
  4. Click on the headphones’ names to select them for the output device.

Adjust the Control Panel settings (works for a wired + Bluetooth connection scheme) 

  1. Open the Control Panel and click on the Sound settings. 
  2. Select the Recording tab and see if the Stereo Mix option is available there. If not, right-click the window and check if the Stereo mix appears next to the options “Show disabled devices” and “Show disconnected devices”. 
  3. Right-click the Stereo Mix option and open its settings. Check the “Set as Default Device” checkbox. 
  4. Left-click the Listen tab and select the option “Listen to this device”.  
  5. Locate both your headphones.

via USB splitters

If you’ve got two wired headphones and wonder how to have 2 headphones on one computer, splitters are an option.  Depending on the type of connector your headset has, you can use the USB or AUX splitters for plug-n-play solutions. Carry out the following steps:

  1. Insert the male connector of the splitter into the relevant port of your PC (AUX  or USB). 
  2. Plug in the headphones connectors into the female ports of the splitter.

Without splitters

If your computer has two audio jacks, just inserting the headphones into them might not work. In order to enable the dual audio output, you need to adjust the settings of your PC.

  1. Insert one of your headphones into the audio port available on your PC. 
  2. Click the Start (Menu) button and select the Sound submenu. 
  3. Open the Manage devices tab and pick “Headphones” as a sound option by clicking on the relevant option. 
  4. Plug in your second headphones into another audio port. Play some music or video to check if you can hear the sound through both headphones connected.

via Particular apps

The Windows OS supports the option of assigning the dual audio output when using particular apps. That can be convenient and energy-efficient, as the dual output will be activated only when an app is working. For example, you can listen to music via a single pair of headphones, but if you get a Skype or Viber call, the dual output is activated. Want to know how to have 2 headphones on a PC and use them for certain apps? Check the guide below.

  1. Connect both your headphones via Bluetooth or by means of the physical connector to your PC. 
  2. On the desktop, find the taskbar (unfold it if needed) and click on the Speaker icon. 
  3. Left-click the Open sound settings menu. 
  4. Find the App volume & device preferences submenu and click on it. The list of applications will expand. 
  5. Select the app you want to use for the dual headphones output. The dropdown list will appear, with all the active outputs available. 
  6. Click both headphones models. A tick should appear next to the headphones name.