What did Microsoft do to the Window 10 Sound Properties (besides completely wreck it)?

[DoubleTap]

I must have missed the memo, but I used to be able to just right click the speaker icon and I could see all the audio devices - I could change defaults, hide them, set properties, etc.

Now, for some bone headed reason, they seem to have scattered all the settings and made everything more difficult (but somehow in a bigger font so you're supposed to think it's easier).

I have two audio out devices:

HDMI (7.1 speakers)

Xonar (2.0 Headphones)

My Amazon Echo is on the audio input and it used to always play on the active device - now it just gets stuck playing through either headphones or speakers and doesn't change when I change output devices.

To compound the hassle, I don't seem to be able to easily pull up audio properties and sort things out.

Why does Microsoft hate sound?

WHY?

Edit:

Answer: https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/access-control-panel-sound-settings-windows-10-1903/

So I made a stupid shortcut like this article says, but I can't just put it in the take bar, it has to be a desktop shortcut for some reason. I don't know why MS has to mess with their interface like this - it's very arbitrary.

 

[mjz_5]

Windows 10’s whole control panel sucks

 

[Nenu]

Windows 10 sucks.
Continually, repeatedly ...
when the noise calms down they find another way to make it start.

 

[DoubleTap]

So I found out how to get to the settings, but the behavior has changed.

Previously, the line in, when set to "listen to this device" and assigned to "default playback device" would follow my active device.

The Xonar U7 MkII has a very handy volume knob that changes the Windows volume for the active sound device.

Pushing the volume knob cycles to the next output device (this is super handy).

Current behavior is that if I assign the line in to play through the default device, it will play through the headphones if I'm on headphones.

When I switch to speakers, it will switch over, but never switch back - it gets stuck on the speakers until I manually change it.