If Aqua Voice takes a second or two to start listening after you press the activation key, the delay is usually caused by the microphone.
AirPods Delay
AirPods and some Bluetooth mics have a short wake-up time when first activated. Once active, they respond instantly until they go idle again.
For more context, see this user discussion: 🔗 AirPods mic take a while to activate (Reddit)
🔑 Solution: Switch to a wired or USB microphone to eliminate this delay.
Windows Laptops
Some laptops like the HP Spectre and Dell XPS use a power-saving mode called S0 (Modern Standby). This mode aggressively puts hardware—including microphones—into a low-power sleep state when idle.
When you press the activation key, the operating system must wake the microphone before Aqua Voice can start recording, causing a brief delay.
This doesn't happen on desktop PCs or Macs because their power management is less aggressive.
Unfortunately, Windows doesn't currently offer a setting to disable S0 for specific devices.
🔑 Solutions:
- Stay plugged in or use an external USB mic to reduce the lag.