diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.cpp b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.cpp
index 794fb6781a..2ee39f668c 100644
--- a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.cpp
@@ -59,14 +59,16 @@ static bool HandleWinAPI(std::string_view message, HRESULT result)
 {
   if (FAILED(result))
   {
-    _com_error err(result);
-    std::string error = TStrToUTF8(err.ErrorMessage());
+    std::string error;
 
     switch (result)
     {
     case AUDCLNT_E_DEVICE_IN_USE:
       error = "Audio endpoint already in use!";
       break;
+    default:
+      error = TStrToUTF8(_com_error(result).ErrorMessage()).c_str();
+      break;
     }
 
     ERROR_LOG_FMT(AUDIO, "WASAPI: {}: {}", message, error);
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ static bool HandleWinAPI(std::string_view message, HRESULT result)
   return SUCCEEDED(result);
 }
 
+
 std::vector<std::string> WASAPIStream::GetAvailableDevices()
 {
   HRESULT result = CoInitializeEx(nullptr, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
@@ -131,7 +134,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> WASAPIStream::GetAvailableDevices()
   return device_names;
 }
 
-ComPtr<IMMDevice> WASAPIStream::GetDeviceByName(std::string name)
+ComPtr<IMMDevice> WASAPIStream::GetDeviceByName(std::string_view name)
 {
   HRESULT result = CoInitializeEx(nullptr, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
   // RPC_E_CHANGED_MODE means that thread has COM already initialized with a different threading
diff --git a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.h b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.h
index b4337a378a..640d0155fc 100644
--- a/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.h
+++ b/Source/Core/AudioCommon/WASAPIStream.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public:
 
   static bool isValid();
   static std::vector<std::string> GetAvailableDevices();
-  static Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<IMMDevice> GetDeviceByName(std::string name);
+  static Microsoft::WRL::ComPtr<IMMDevice> GetDeviceByName(std::string_view name);
 
 private:
   u32 m_frames_in_buffer = 0;