Windows doesn't switch audio devices properly. Help?

[akirivan]

For years now I've been using my All-in-One's built-in speakers and I have just bought a discrete pair of speakers (Edifier R19U). They connect via USB and when I plug them in, they immediately take over. So, I was watching YouTube in Chrome and I wanted to compare the two sets of speakers, so I went into Windows settings and changed the output device from the Edifer to Realtek, and it changed normally. But then I was listening to music on iTunes, and I wanted to do the same but when I changed the output device to Realtek it just kept on playing out of the Edifier. I tried it again with YouTube and it worked fine. Can someone tell me how I can make sure the audio output changes always? I need to be able to use my headphones (changing to Realtek) without having to unplug the speakers.

[TheBean]

if you are using windows 10, then get earTrumpet from the windows store.. its free and soo usefull

[akirivan]

3 minutes ago, saksham said:

if you are using windows 10, then get earTrumpet from the windows store.. its free and soo usefull

Oh snap, that app sounds like exactly what I need. Thank you so much.

[TheBean]

eartrumpet saved my life from the hell of terrible audio switching

[r4tch3t]

Oh might check that out. Seems to me it's up to the program, same thing happens to me but with mumble, mumble doesn't like switching audio devices. So I change audio device and have to restart mumble to get it to find the headset. 

[EsaT]

7 hours ago, akirivan said:

So, I was watching YouTube in Chrome and I wanted to compare the two sets of speakers, so I went into Windows settings and changed the output device from the Edifer to Realtek, and it changed normally. But then I was listening to music on iTunes, and I wanted to do the same but when I changed the output device to Realtek it just kept on playing out of the Edifier.

Chrome and iTunes likely behave differently in how they communcate with audio interface/stack of Windows.

 

Chrome clearly monitors continuously what's default playback device of Windows.

While iTunes might well have own setting "locked" to device which was default when it was started.

Also there might be other differences in their operation.

I think some programs don't exactly like "on the fly" swap of playback device when they're playing sound.