The headphones play music like a dream, but the microphone is dead as a doornail. Classic situation. Usually the issue isn't the hardware itself but how your computer or phone decides to handle audio sources. Let's walk through what to do.
Why doesn't the microphone show up?
Bluetooth headphones appear to your computer as two separate devices: one is stereo audio output (good quality, no microphone) and the other is the hands-free profile (worse audio, microphone included). If your machine has latched onto the stereo-only profile, the microphone simply doesn't exist as far as the operating system is concerned.
Another common reason is that the operating system has blocked the microphone. Windows 11 is particularly keen on this – it might hide the device from audio settings without so much as a heads-up.
How to fix it
1. Reset the Bluetooth connection
- Turn off the Nordell Micro
- Go to your computer's Bluetooth settings and remove Nordell Micro from paired devices entirely
- Turn the Nordell Micro back on and pair it from scratch
2. Check Windows 11 audio settings
- Open Settings > System > Sound
- Scroll down to Input and check if Nordell Micro shows up on the list
- If it doesn't, click More sound settings
- In the window that opens, select the Recording tab
- Right-click on an empty area and tick Show Disabled Devices
- If Nordell Micro appears greyed out, right-click it and select Enable
3. Check microphone permissions
- Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone
- Make sure microphone access is enabled and that apps are allowed to use it
- Windows likes to change these settings during updates entirely on its own
4. Check Bluetooth drivers
- Open Device Manager and find your Bluetooth adapter
- Right-click and select Update driver
- Alternatively, remove the device and restart your computer – Windows will reinstall the driver
5. Try with another device
- Connect the Nordell Micro to your phone and try making a call or recording a voice message
- If the microphone works on your phone, the issue is in your computer's settings
- If it doesn't work on any device, the problem is most likely in the speaker itself
If nothing helps
If the microphone won't come to life with any of the tricks above and doesn't work on your phone either, it could be a hardware fault. Drop us a message at info@valco.fi – include your order number and what you've already tried. If the device is less than 24 months old, warranty's got you covered. Our service team in Kajaani will go through the device and fix it. We don't throw stuff in the bin.
And if your company bought the headphones, hang on to that order confirmation. Makes things a lot smoother.
Electronics can be moody sometimes. Most of the time this gets solved by finding where Windows has hidden the microphone somewhere in its settings jungle. Microsoft's operating system is, after all, famous for knowing better than you what you actually want.
