How to Fix OBS Audio Monitoring Wrong Device

If OBS Studio is routing your audio monitoring to the wrong hardware device—even though your settings show the correct device is selected—you are experiencing a common routing bug. This article provides quick, step-by-step solutions to resolve this issue, ranging from toggling OBS audio settings and checking Windows system overrides to matching sample rates.

Step 1: Force OBS to Refresh the Audio Device

Often, OBS Studio caches the connection to an audio device, and simply displaying the correct name in the settings does not mean it is actively connected. You can force a refresh with these steps:

  1. Open OBS Studio and click on Settings in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select the Audio tab from the left menu.
  3. Scroll down to the Advanced section to find Monitoring Device.
  4. Click the dropdown menu and change the device to Default or any device other than your desired one.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. Change the dropdown menu back to your preferred hardware monitoring device.
  7. Click Apply and then OK.

Step 2: Configure Windows App Volume Preferences

Windows has its own routing system that can override OBS Studio’s internal settings. If Windows is forcing OBS to a specific output, your changes inside OBS will be ignored.

  1. Right-click the speaker icon in your Windows taskbar and select Open Sound settings (or Volume mixer on Windows 11).
  2. Scroll down and click on App volume and device preferences (or expand the Apps section in Windows 11).
  3. Locate OBS Studio in the list while the software is open.
  4. Ensure both the Input and Output dropdown menus for OBS are set to Default. This allows OBS’s internal settings to dictate the monitoring device. Alternatively, manually set the output dropdown specifically to your preferred monitoring headphones or speakers.

Step 3: Match Audio Sample Rates

Mismatched sample rates between your hardware device and OBS Studio can cause the audio engine to fail and default back to an incorrect device.

  1. In OBS, go to Settings > Audio and check the Sample Rate (usually 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).
  2. On your Windows desktop, press Win + R, type mmsys.cpl, and hit Enter to open the classic Sound Control Panel.
  3. Under the Playback tab, right-click your monitoring device and select Properties.
  4. Go to the Advanced tab.
  5. Under Default Format, ensure the sample rate matches the sample rate set in OBS (e.g., “2 channel, 24 bit, 48000 Hz”).
  6. Click Apply and OK.

Step 4: Launch Order and USB Initialization

USB audio devices, such as wireless headsets and USB DACs, can temporarily disconnect when entering sleep mode. If OBS is launched before these devices are fully initialized by Windows, OBS will default to the wrong output.

To prevent this, always ensure your headphones or monitoring hardware are turned on and connected to your PC before you launch OBS Studio. If you unplug your headset while OBS is open, restart OBS once the device is plugged back in to restore the monitoring path.