Earbuds – Guide to Common Problems and Fixes

One of the best ways to listen to our favorite music without disturbing people around us is by using wireless Bluetooth earbuds. If you are someone like me, you might own a great pair of wireless earbuds with excellent sound quality, amazing design, and very good noise cancelation that get you through noisy commutes easily. Imaging having the best Bluetooth earbuds that you have grown attached to and one day they suddenly stop working or start giving you a headache.

Of course, you won’t be happy, especially if you have high-end wireless earbuds with mic that you invested so much money on. Most people might think of replacing them with new ones, but it is the best to fix your Bluetooth earbuds if they are giving you problems. This guide will show you the common problems of wireless earbuds and how to fix the problems so you can continue to enjoy your truly wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Read on!

 

Common Problems of Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

 

  • Break in music or audio stuttering – with the microphones, batteries, circuits, and other hosts of components sandwiched into a small space, wireless earbuds is a supercomputer in your ears. According to the report we gathered from most of the Bluetooth earbuds users, reviews of different brands by users, and the interview of audiophiles, it is obvious that audio stuttering is a common problem. It can be as a result of a lot of factors, but Bluetooth connectivity is often the main cause of the issue.  
     
  • Earbuds keep falling out of the ears – Even though some brand so wireless Bluetooth earbuds claim to be one size fit all, many users are still complaining that the earbuds keep falling out of their ears. It can result from various factors, including the size of the ear tips, wax in the ears, and moisture in the ears. This is a common problem to wireless earbuds users, but some brand of best Bluetooth earbuds such as xFyro can be an exception.

  • Earbuds suddenly stop working – the number one reason your waterproof wireless earbuds stop working is poor or damaged battery. Also, if your wireless is not resistant to water or waterproof, and it falls into water, it might stop working.

  • Sounds from Bluetooth earbuds are too quiet – this is the common complaint of over-ear headphone users who decided to opt for wireless earbuds. This problem can result from the way you plug the wireless Bluetooth earbuds in your ears, the brand or product type, and what you do with them.

  • Mic of the wireless Bluetooth earbud does not respond – wireless earbuds with a mic can sometimes disappoint you when you are receiving or making a call.

  • Pairing failure between Bluetooth earbuds and smartphone – most of the time it happens that when you try to connect your best Bluetooth earbuds with a smartphone or tablet the pairing process seems to run forever, or you will be greeted with an error message. Of course, it is a common problem for wireless earbud for running that can be fixed.

  • Charging issues – damaged charging ports, poor charger, poor battery, broken charging cable, and dirty charging ports are the common factors that can cause this issue.

How to Fix the Common Problems of Earbuds

 

  1. Break in music or audio stuttering 
  • Get rid of other wireless signals – today, there has been a tremendous improvement in technology, and this has made many gadgets in your home or surrounding come with either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Some even come with both. No doubt, with almost everything being wireless life has been much easier. Most of the signals that come from these gadgets are designed to work together. However, they can interfere with each other, and this can result in the stuttering of the Bluetooth audio. Turn off devices that are emitting wireless signals if you are not using them. Another option is that you can turn off the devices one by one to find out the one disrupting wireless Bluetooth earbuds signal. Alternatively, you can move to a room or an area with less wireless signals. 
  • Reset the wireless Bluetooth earbuds – you never know, the earbuds themselves might be the one causing the break in the music and resetting them can help fix the issue. Truly wireless earbuds come with the power button on each earbud. When you hold down the power button for three to five minutes, the earbuds will power down and come up again. When the Bluetooth earbuds power on again, they must have reset, and you can connect to start using again. 
  • Restart your smartphone or computer – when the paired devices are overstressed, they can cause the waterproof wireless earbuds to break in and out. So, we will advise you to turn off the connected devices, including your tablet, smartphone, or computer and turn them on after some minutes. Then reconnect or pair the device to your best Bluetooth earbuds again. 
  • Buy new wireless earbuds – two factors can make you resolve to this option. Firstly, the Bluetooth technology your present Bluetooth comes with can be a culprit. Secondly, the lifespan limit of the wireless Bluetooth with mic might have been reached. Regardless of the factor, ensure you purchase the best Bluetooth earbuds with the latest generation of Bluetooth technology (Bluetooth 5). They emit a more powerful signal that is very difficult to disrupt or interfere with by other wireless signals. Even though most of the wireless earbuds available have a finite lifespan of one to two years, some waterproof wireless earbuds are built to last and serve you for more than two years. A perfect example is xFyro Xs2 and some other few brands.

Self Fix the earbuds small issues

 

  1. Earbuds keep falling out of the ear

Even though most of the best earbuds manufacturers do a good job to come up with perfectly designed earbuds that fit many consumers’ ears, the difference in the ear shapes can take a toll. What does this mean? The truly wireless earbuds may not stay put in the ears. So how do you fix this?

  • Swap to another ear tips – the ear canal might not be giving the ear tip a good seal due to the size, and for your wireless Bluetooth earbuds to work correctly, they need to be sealed completely. For this reason, many of the best Bluetooth earbuds come with different sizes of ear tips. Remove the ear tips on your earbuds and replace it with another one until you get the one that will give your earbuds a good seal and prevent them from falling out. In case none of the wireless earbuds extra ear tips work for you, try to get a third-party or customized pair of ear tips. Take note that some earbuds come with ear tips that fit almost all ears no matter the shape.

  • Clean the wax or moisture in the ears or on the earbuds – wax or moisture in the ear can be a culprit. When there is wax in your ear canal, the earbuds won’t get a good seal, and they will keep falling off the ear. So, clean the excess wax in your ears and ensure you dry any moisture on the ear tips of the truly wireless earbuds.

  • Opt for sport earbuds designed to stay put in your ears when running or walking – some Bluetooth earbuds will distort even at the slightest movement. But some are built with runners in mind. Wireless earbuds for running such as xFyro can be a perfect option to opt for.

Do you need more information on how to keep your best Bluetooth earbuds from falling out of your ears? You can read our previously posted article with the title “how do you keep your in-ear headphones from falling out while running.”   

  1. Earbuds suddenly stop working
  • If the wireless earbuds are not waterproof but water resistant and they are submerged into the water, the problem can be severe. Even if it is waterproof and you submerge the Bluetooth earbuds at a depth of water that the IP rating can’t tolerate or endure, there can also be a problem. But relax as there are two solutions. You can dismantle the earbuds, absorb the moisture with a clean cloth with high absorbency level, and air dry or put them inside grains of rice to get rid of every drop of moisture. If you try this and it doesn’t come back on or work, the best option is to buy waterproof wireless earbuds with a high IP rating. Remember, money can fix almost all the problems. Check here for more information on what to do if your earbuds fall into the water. 
  • On the other hand, if the problem is the battery, you can charge the earbuds to see if the battery will come up. Plug the wireless Bluetooth earbuds to a charger plugged in a wall unit and leave it for some hours. Ensure the charger, cable, charging port, and wall unit are in perfect condition and not damaged. Try to switch the wireless earbuds on. If it comes up, you can continue enjoying your music but it doesn’t you might have to replace your battery.

High Quality Earbuds 

  1. Quiet or low sounds from Bluetooth earbuds
  • Clean the earbuds mesh and ear tips – dirt might be causing low sounds so try to get rid of dirt such as wax, dust, and remnants of food that may have accumulated on the mesh or eartips.

  • Ensure a perfect seal in the ear canal – we have mentioned it earlier that a perfect seal can improve the performance of your earbuds and provide better sound quality. You can achieve this by using the right ear tips for your ears shape and size and also get rid of moisture and wax in the ear canal.

  • Ensure that the volume of the wireless earbuds and the connected devices are increased – some people might forget to increase the volume, and a simple increase in the level of your device volume can fix the issue

  • Buy wireless Bluetooth earbuds built for a specific use – do you know that there are some earbuds that are built for specific purposes? Some are built for listening to music and performs well at it, and some are built for making calls without disappointment. If you love listening to music, go for the right one that will deliver the sound you want and if you are someone that makes a lot of calls make tour choice wisely. Fortunately, some of the best Bluetooth earbuds today do both perfectly. Also, a quality driver in earbuds can help improve the sounds you get when playing music or making calls. 
  1. The earbuds mic does not respond    

Are you sure your wireless Bluetooth earbuds come with an in-built mic? If yes, here are some tips that can help you fix the problem.

  • Carefully check the microphone for blockage. The wireless earbuds with mic may have lint or debris blocking the microphone. Also, the plastic packaging might be the culprit. Remove the debris, lint, and plastic packaging. 
  • If you try the above tip and it doesn’t work, try to check if the problem is with both pairs or with one of the earbuds. You can do this by pairing one wireless earbud at a time and making calls with it. If both earbuds mic fails to respond, you might need a replacement. 
  1. Charging issues

This common problem of earbuds can result from many factors, as mentioned earlier. To fix this issue, ensure the charger is in good condition, the ports are not damaged, the charging cables and not broken, and the wall unit are working perfectly. If you own wireless Bluetooth earbuds with charging case, ensure the charging case is charged and not damaged. You can take a look at our previous post on how to solve earbuds battery charging issues for more detailed ways to fix this problem.

  1. Earbuds and smartphone fail to pair or connect

When there is no connection between your wireless earbuds and smartphone or computer, you can’t achieve your purpose of buying them.

If your smartphone can’t find our cell phone, tablet, or computer:

  • Ensure the earbud and the smartphone’s Bluetooth is switched on and active

  • Check to make sure the OS or your device is compatible with your earbuds. Ensure your Android is running on Android 4.3 and above and your iPhone is running at least iOS 7.

  • Remove interfering devices or objects

  • Ensure there is no Wi-Fi router around the area or in the room

  • Make sure you follow the recommended paring process provided by the manufacturer

  • Distance is another factor to consider. The closer your device and earbuds, the higher the chance of finding and pairing with each other and the farther they are, the more difficult it is to connect.

Also, if pairing keeps failing, check the Bluetooth connectivity list and delete the Bluetooth connections, you are not using. Additionally, ensure the batteries of your wireless earbuds are not low.

Earbud Pairing

Final Advice on How to Fix Common Earbuds Problems

With the regular replacement of parts, proper cleaning of wireless Bluetooth earbuds and proper storage, the risk of your favorite wireless earbuds from getting damaged may be reduced. Also, keeping the volume of your best Bluetooth earbuds at a moderate level and buying high-quality waterproof wireless earbuds built to last can prevent or reduce problems. Try the solutions provided in this guide to common earbud problems and get your favorite device back on track.