Fix no sound in X-Plane 11 or 12 by checking audio output, mixer, sound sliders, aircraft packs, plugins, preferences and Log.txt.
If X-Plane 11 or 12 has no sound, restore the Sound sliders, route audio to the intended output device and make sure the simulator is not muted in the operating-system mixer. Restart X-Plane after changing devices. If a default aircraft has sound, the fault is normally an add-on aircraft, sound pack or plugin.
What does the missing sound tell you?
The quickest diagnosis is to identify exactly which audio is missing.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| No sound from any default aircraft | Muted volume, wrong output or damaged preferences | X-Plane Sound settings and the operating-system mixer |
| Default aircraft work, but one add-on is silent | Incomplete, incompatible or incorrectly installed aircraft files | The aircraft's sound files, version and folder structure |
| Engines work, but ATC or radios are silent | Radio volume, tuning or audio-panel routing | COM selection, receive buttons and avionics power |
| Only VATSIM voices are missing | Pilot-client output or radio configuration | The client's audio device and active COM radio |
| Sound disappears after connecting VR, HDMI or Bluetooth equipment | The operating system changed the default output | Per-application output routing, followed by an X-Plane restart |
How do I restore all sound in X-Plane?
Restore all X-Plane sound by checking the simulator controls first, then the operating-system route, and only then files, preferences and plugins.
- Test an unmodified default aircraft. Load a default aircraft with its engine already running, raise the throttle and switch between cockpit and external views. Do not diagnose the problem using a complex add-on in a cold-and-dark state.
- Check X-Plane's Sound page. Open
Settings > Soundand raise the master, aircraft, radio and other relevant volume controls. Labels vary slightly between X-Plane 11 and 12. If your installation shows an output-device selector, choose the required speakers or headset; otherwise, X-Plane follows the operating system's selected output. - Inspect the operating-system mixer. On Windows, open the volume mixer while X-Plane is running and confirm that the application is neither muted nor assigned to an unused monitor, headset or digital output. On macOS, check the selected device under the system Sound settings. On Linux, inspect both the default device and the active X-Plane playback stream in the desktop audio controls.
- Connect the device before launching X-Plane. Start the headset, USB interface, Bluetooth device or VR headset first, select it as the output, and then launch the simulator. X-Plane may keep using the device that was available when it started, even after the system default changes.
- Remove third-party variables. Temporarily move third-party plugin folders out of
Resources/plugins, leaving X-Plane's own components untouched, and test a default aircraft again. Return plugins one at a time until the silence returns. - Reset the preferences safely. Close X-Plane, back up and rename
Output/preferences, then relaunch so the simulator creates fresh settings. This also resets controls, views and graphics options, so keep the backup and restore individual settings only after confirming that sound works. - Read the log from the failed session. Open
Log.txtin the main X-Plane folder immediately after reproducing the problem. Look for references to an unavailable audio device, FMOD, OpenAL, a failed aircraft plugin or missing files; the log is replaced when X-Plane starts again.
If the selected device is still silent, test an ordinary wired output. HDMI displays without speakers, disconnected docking stations, Bluetooth profile changes and VR software taking over the default device are common causes that X-Plane itself cannot correct.
Why is only one aircraft silent?
If default aircraft make sound, X-Plane and the operating system are working; repair the silent aircraft rather than reinstalling the whole simulator.
- Confirm that the aircraft release supports the X-Plane version being used. An X-Plane 11 aircraft may load in X-Plane 12 while its plugin or custom sound system fails.
- Check that all supplied sound or FMOD files remain inside the aircraft folder. Do not mix files from different releases merely because the aircraft names match.
- Move the old aircraft folder aside before installing a fresh copy. Extracting a new release over an old one can leave obsolete sound banks or plugins behind.
- Check
Log.txtfor a failed aircraft plugin or missing sound resource. A silent custom aircraft is often a symptom of the plugin not loading, not a global audio fault.
A mistake we see constantly is an extra folder level or a partial sound-pack installation. Our checklist for installing X-Plane mods and sound packs correctly covers folder nesting, plugin placement and clean-baseline testing.
Why can I hear engines but not ATC or radios?
Engine sound with silent radio audio usually means the radio volume, electrical system, tuning or cockpit audio panel is configured incorrectly.
Make sure the aircraft has avionics power, the desired frequency is on the active side of the correct COM radio, and the corresponding COM receive button is selected on the audio panel. Check the radio-related slider under X-Plane's Sound settings as well. For built-in communications, follow our X-Plane 12 ATC and radio-routing checks.
VATSIM audio is handled through the pilot client, which can use a different output device from X-Plane. If only online controllers are silent, verify the client's output, receive volume, active COM frequency and cockpit audio-panel selection using our VATSIM audio setup checks for X-Plane 12. Push-to-talk affects transmission; it does not normally explain why incoming voices cannot be heard.
When should I repair or reinstall X-Plane?
Repair X-Plane only after default aircraft remain silent with fresh preferences and third-party plugins removed.
For a direct installation, run the official installer against the existing X-Plane folder and choose its update or repair function. For a Steam installation, use Steam's file-verification facility. Our X-Plane 12 installation and repair guide explains the clean-installation test and missing-file checks.
A file repair does not remove faulty preferences, add-on aircraft or third-party plugins. A complete reinstall can therefore reproduce the same problem if it is placed over the old directory. Test a genuinely clean default installation before returning custom aircraft, plugins and sound packs in small groups.