AirPods sound bad when you use Superwhisper on a Mac
AirPods sound bad when you dictate with Superwhisper because it opens their mic and Bluetooth drops to headset audio; CallLane fixes it by locking the input to your Mac's built-in mic. While the AirPods mic is open, everything you hear turns into mono call-quality sound. Pick the built-in mic in Superwhisper (or leave it on Use system default), and let CallLane keep macOS from moving the Mac's input back to the AirPods.
Tested on macOS 27.0.1 with CallLane 1.0.5, .
Why Superwhisper makes your AirPods sound worse
Bluetooth headphones have a listening mode and a headset mode. Only the headset mode can use the mic, and it plays mono audio at as little as 16 kHz instead of 48 kHz. So when Superwhisper records from your AirPods, the music or video you’re listening to drops to call quality until the recording stops.
Superwhisper’s help page says the same: it’s a Bluetooth limitation, it can reduce transcription accuracy, and the fix is to record with the built-in microphone while you keep listening through the headset.
The fix inside Superwhisper
- Open Superwhisper’s settings from its menu-bar icon.
- Click the input device shown at the top right of any settings pane. You can also switch it straight from the menu-bar icon.
- Pick your Mac’s built-in microphone. You can star it so Superwhisper prefers it, or exclude the AirPods so Superwhisper stops offering them.
Why it can switch back
If Superwhisper is set to Use system default, it follows the Mac’s input. macOS usually makes the AirPods the input each time they connect, so Superwhisper starts recording from them again. Superwhisper’s docs put it this way: if it switches microphones on its own, the system default changed underneath it.
Even with Superwhisper pinned to the built-in mic, call apps and other tools that use the Mac’s input still open the AirPods mic, and the headphones drop to headset quality for everything you hear.
Keep it on the Mac’s mic with CallLane
CallLane is a menu-bar app with a Lock inputswitch. Pick your Mac’s built-in mic (or a USB mic) and lock it. If macOS or another app moves the input, CallLane puts it back, so the system default Superwhisper follows stays on the Mac’s mic and your AirPods stay in high-quality listening mode.
It works with any dictation app that records from the Mac’s input, which is what their system default or Auto-detect setting does. An app set to the AirPods mic directly ignores the lock, so switch it to the system default or the built-in mic once. CallLane also stops calls from turning your music down by about 20 dB. More on AirPods headset mode.
Questions
Why do my AirPods sound bad when I use Superwhisper?
Superwhisper is recording from the AirPods microphone. Using the AirPods mic forces Bluetooth into headset mode, which plays everything in low-quality mono until the recording stops.
How do I make Superwhisper use my Mac's microphone?
Open Superwhisper's settings, click the input device at the top right of any settings pane, and pick the built-in microphone. You can also switch it from the menu-bar icon.
Why does Superwhisper switch to my AirPods on its own?
When it is set to Use system default, it follows the Mac's input, and macOS usually makes AirPods the input each time they connect. CallLane's Lock input keeps the Mac's input on the built-in mic.
Does CallLane work with Superwhisper?
Yes. CallLane works with Superwhisper and other dictation apps. It is a macOS menu-bar app for macOS 14 or later, a one-time purchase with a 14-day refund.