Headphones not working? Common issues and how to fix them

Our headphones and earbuds are everyday audio accessories that many of us can’t live without. These days, big brands like Sony, Bose, and Apple have really taken up sound technology, providing in-ear and over-the-ear products that sound great, sound amazing, and are on-the-go. Made for everything from walking to exercising to working out. They come in all kinds of varieties, including wired and Bluetooth wireless models, and come with features like active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio surround sound, and more. But “perfection” is a word that’s used very carefully in the world of consumer technology, and no matter how much you spend on your premium headset or flagship earbuds, those top-dollar cans still fail at times. -Can get spoiled over time.

Whether it’s a problem with headphone sound, how you’re using them, or what device you have them connected to, we’ve put together this roundup of the most common headphone problems we hear about all the time. , as well as what you are doing. Can troubleshoot and solve every problem.

Charge and Update

Before we get started, one of the most important things you can do is to make sure that your headphones or earbuds are fully charged (if they’re of the wireless variety, of course). And almost equally important is to make sure the firmware is up to date (see our detailed post on how to do this for Apple AirPods). Unlike many other devices, headphones You don’t always have companion apps with available updates or the means to upload updates from your computer headphones,

But if you’re using a product that offers automatic or manual updates, it’s a good idea to check every few months to see if there’s a new update to download and install.

Turn off your headphones frequently

it is this crowdis the preferred solution, but if you have a set of powered headphones, turning them off and back on often solves most of your problems. You can also restart the device you’re connecting them to, just to make it go away.

For Bluetooth devices, you can also try turning Bluetooth off and on again to pair them again. More on this later.

Your headphones will not connect to your device

One of the best features of your wireless headphones can also become the biggest hassle. We’re talking about Bluetooth pairing, and even though we’ve been using Bluetooth for generations, it’s not uncommon to occasionally have a handshake problem between your headphones and a new or existing device. However, there is nothing to worry about, as there are a few different things you can try to get device A to talk to device B.

step 1: For the most part, pairing a new set of Bluetooth headphones to your phone, tablet, or computer is just a matter of pressing or holding down a button. headphones To enter pairing mode. Brands like Apple make the process even easier by allowing a new set of AirPods to automatically pair with your phone by simply opening the case next to it.

If your headphones or earbuds are not connecting to your host device, the first thing you should do is reset it headphones and the device you are trying to pair with. This is a tried and true solution, as sometimes a hard reset is all it takes to wipe the slate clean.

step 2: If you are still having trouble, the next thing you should do is bluetooth settings of your host device to see if your headphones are connected. If they aren’t, you may need to re-add them. If they are, but you still can’t get sound, it may sound ridiculous, but check to see if your volume has been turned down.

it? ok wow. It’s also possible that your headphones are paired to another device. Check your other hardware’s Bluetooth settings to see if this is the case.

If your headphones come with a companion app, you may also be able to check which devices you have headphones Has been linked to. You should be able to disconnect them from here as well.

step 3: If your headphones are paired to another device, you can usually force the device to forget the pairing entirely, should you want to force headphones Back in pairing mode. For example, you can do this on iPhone bluetooth settingsmake your choice headphones From the list, tap More forget this device (located at the bottom of the screen). Every device, such as an Android phone and computer, will have a similar way of doing this.

step 4: If your Bluetooth headphones are low on battery, it’s a good idea to charge them before attempting to pair them with a new device. Although battery life isn’t always a factor, we’ve noticed that many headsets start acting up when their milliamps start dropping below 25%. conveniently, the most modern headphones It can be charged relatively quickly thanks to a connection like USB-C.

You’ll also want to make sure that the hardware doesn’t replace the software. Many Bluetooth headphones are running Bluetooth 5.0 or newer, but that doesn’t mean your ancient laptop or tablet supports these modern Bluetooth profiles.

poor sound or no sound at all

Our next section of problems and solutions is going to focus on weak sound. Maybe your wireless (or wired) headphones are connected to your phone, but for whatever reason, whenever you start streaming music, you have some kind of problem with the audio quality, like stuttering sound. , sound that comes and goes intermittently, or complete loss of sound. This could potentially be caused by your Bluetooth connection to your device being poor headphonesOr poor internet connectivity or speed, be it Wi-Fi or mobile.

step 1: Check to make sure you have a good internet connection, Music-streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music offer some high-quality streams, but if your device has a poor Internet connection—on Wi-Fi or data—you’re probably on a road trip in a rural area with poor service, and For example, you haven’t downloaded your music for offline listening – this may negatively impact the quality of your stream or disrupt it altogether.

step 2: Turn off some features. Many headphones come with companion apps that are packed with all kinds of additional audio features, like EQ, ANC, or transparency modes. If you have applied any sound customization to your headphones Through the app, it’s a good idea to turn off these features. Then, with the preset disabled, play some music to see if the audio quality improves.

step 3: Check if you are standing out of Bluetooth range of your host device, or if something is interfering with the signal. Most Bluetooth headphones work best when you’re no more than 35 to 100 feet away from your device, but once you take into account obstacles like walls and floors and potential interference from microwaves, clock radios and other technology, When you start cutting, you start cutting. Decrease in signal strength.

Try standing closer to your device to see if your sound improves. You can also try turning off any unnecessary components that may be causing interference.

step 4: Check the cable. If you’re experiencing poor sound quality, sudden audio dropouts, or no sound at all, and you’re using a pair of wired headphones, chances are the cable may be damaged in some way. A good way to test this is to plug your headphones In your host device, play music, and starting at the end of the device, slowly make your way down the length of the wire.

If the audio becomes intermittent or the sound quality improves, you are dealing with a damaged cable. In many cases, you may need to invest in a new pair of headphones, although some brands will let you order replacement wires.

Step 5: Clean them thoroughly. If you’re using a set of wired headphones, you’re probably connecting them to your host device’s headphone jack or USB connection to listen to music. Unfortunately, normal wear and tear can cause a considerable amount of dirt to accumulate in these common ports. If there is a lot of dirt, your device’s port may not be making adequate contact with the input end of the headphones.

Use a toothpick, cotton swab, and/or a can of compressed air to loosen and remove any debris stuck in your Lightning, USB-C, or headphone jacks, then try plugging your headphones in again.

Only one earbud is working

If you’re only getting sound from one earbud, there’s probably an interruption in the connection that both buds share with each other. Thankfully, resetting this connection is usually as simple as placing your buds back in the charging case for about 10 seconds. Once you remove the earbuds and reconnect them to your host device, they should work again.

Wired or Wireless Headphones: Which is Better?

One might think that, as far as headphones are concerned, wired or wireless wouldn’t make much of a difference in the long run, but that’s simply not the case. Like any device, the more features you start to integrate into your technology, the more things have the potential to go wrong. It’s similar to how modern smart appliances are repaired and replaced far more often than traditional washers and dryers with bare-bones buttons and knobs.

If you’re confused about whether you should go with a wired set or not wireless headphones, the first one should last a little longer than the second one. Wired headphones use passive transducers that work with whatever amplification your host device provides to the headset. wireless headphones (and earbuds) rely on built-in batteries for power that may fail over time.

In terms of sound quality, wired headphones are also directly connected to the host device, so things like latency and audio codec degradation aren’t something you need to worry about. with wire headphonesYou can also take advantage of high-resolution and lossless audio formats like FLAC and ALAC, offered by streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, and Apple Music, as these formats are too large to send over Bluetooth (at the moment).

Cost-wise, wired headphones are also slightly cheaper than wireless options. But that doesn’t mean wireless headphones Are not unbelievable.

As far as portability goes, there’s no better feeling than No Being tied with a string. Have you ever pulled an auxiliary wire the wrong way? Doing so may cause your device to move from one end of the room to the other, or may damage the headphone jack, Lightning port, or other connections. Also, today’s wireless headphones It also lasts significantly longer than previous years’ models, with seven to eight hours of playback being about the average playtime you can expect.