Swishy sound normally means some type of filtering is occurring.

Any chance the Xenyx mixer may include effects and the audio may be accidentally using the effect?

Another possibility is an impedance mis-match either between the computer audio out and the mixer input or the mixer audio out and the headphones.

For example your laptop headphone audio output is likely 32 ohm since that is the most common impedance of ear buds and consumer headphones. But the mixer headphone audio output may be 600 ohm since that is the impedance value for many professional headphones.

Your mixer and headphone specifications likely include the impedance values but the computer specifications normally don't.


Jim Fogle - 2025 BiaB (Build 1128) RB (Build 5) - Ultra+ PAK
DAWs: Cakewalk Sonar - Standalone: Zoom MRS-8
Laptop: i3 Win 10, 8GB ram 500GB HDD
Desktop: i7 Win 11, 12GB ram 256GB SSD, 4 TB HDD
Music at: https://fogle622.wix.com/fogle622-audio-home