One of my friends has bought countless pairs of headphones within two years. All of them became unusable only after a few months. Sometimes they didn’t even last for a week. He tried to buy every headphone after performing a headphone quality test on them. But every time, it went in vain.
“Only buying a good quality headphone doesn’t end the matter with durability. You have to take good care of your headphones to make them last longer” – this is what I told him after knowing his problems. Then I gave him some important tips and tricks to make headphones last longer.
Today I am going to share them with all of you.
Before learning about the proper maintenance of the headphones, let’s know – how long does a headphone generally last?
How Long Do Headphones Last?
The durability of the headphones mainly depends on their types and materials. You can’t expect a cheap headphone to last more than a few months. On the contrary, a high-quality headphone can even last up to ten years. Most expensive headphones have good warranties of at least one year.
Nowadays, many new companies are offering durable and good quality headphones at a cheaper rate, but that is an exceptional case.
Anyway, whatever the lifespan of a headphone is, you can make it double or even triple. You just have to take proper care.
Now, I am going to share my knowledge about the proper maintenance of your headphones. I may also share some tips for your earphones and earbuds.
So, have a look here.
How To Make Headphones Last Longer?
You should follow my instructions that are given below:
- Store the headphones properly.
- Clean your headphones from time to time.
- Remember the cable.
- Replace headphone pads when needed.
- Avoid contact with water.
- Unplug your headphone after use.
- Keep the volume at a moderate level.
- Don’t sleep with your headphone.
- Match your headphone impedance with the audio source.
- Keep a charging schedule for your wireless headphone.
You must want to know about these points in detail. Right? Okay, let’s get down to the depth.
1. Store The Headphones Properly
Keeping your headphones in a safe place is your first line of defense. So, buy a suitable headphone case. It shouldn’t be loose or too tight. The headphone will shake in a loose case and it will get crushed in a congested one causing internal damage.
After coiling the cable correctly, keep your headphone and cable in a perfect case or pouch.
Avoid carrying earphones and earbuds in your pocket. It creates pressure that may break them. It may also lead to inadequate sound production.
Now, I will discuss the cleaning process, which is very important for your headphones.
2. Clean Your Headphones From Time To Time
The outer environment where you use your headphones is full of dust. The inner area of your ear also contains dirt. They can find their way to the headphone and harm sound quality. So, cleaning is important.
You can do a few things to maintain a complete cleaning procedure. They are –
- Wipe your headphone after every use.
- Brush off the driver unit lightly.
- Don’t let others use your headphone.
- Clean the headphone jack also.
I am explaining every point I have mentioned above.
Wipe Your Headphone After Every Use
Wipe the earpads with a soft cloth using alcohol or hand sanitizer after every use. Sometimes use cotton buds to clean the folding parts. Soak your headphone sleeves in warm and soapy water for five minutes.
Brush Off The Driver Unit Lightly
Earwax and grease can get accumulated in your headphones’ driver units. It can promote the malfunctioning of your headphones. So, brush them off gently using a soft brush.
You can use a toothpick to remove all the wax and grease from the inner parts of your earbuds.
Don’t Let Others Use Your Headphone
If you give your headphones to others, the exchange of earwax can cause severe infections to both. Besides, other people will not handle your headphones carefully.
Clean The Headphone Jack Also
Dirt can get accumulated in the contact point of your headphone jack. It causes various problems like headphones only working on one side or a loose connection.
Try using a compressed gas duster to clean your headphone jack.
If you can’t find a gas duster, use bent paper lined with double-sided tape. Insert it into the jack and the dirt will stick to the tape when you pull it out.
Here comes the management of cable now.
3. Remember The Cable
Cable is an important part that can be damaged easily. So, I am sharing some essential tips to keep it safe.
- Don’t roll the cable tightly.
- Pull the plug, not the cable.
- Don’t keep the wires hanging down.
- Fold the cable properly.
Let’s know the details about these tips.
Don’t Roll The Cable Tightly
Sometimes we wrap the headphones cord around our phones or mp3 players after using. This habit may cause permanent damage to the internal wires as a tight loop and knot will stretch and soften the cable.
Pull The Plug, Not The Cable
While disconnecting the headphone from an audio source, we sometimes pull the cable. That puts extra pressure on your cable. Pull the plug itself to unplug.
Don’t Keep The Wire Hanging Down
Don’t let your headphones or earbuds hang down from your bags or table. It creates pressure on the connection between the headphone and the plug. The internal wires may tear apart from this.
Fold The Cable Properly
A scrambled cord can cause a loose connection with a tiny cut inside. Follow the tricks mentioned below while folding your headphone cord or cable easily.
-Keep the cable on your left hand facing the connector outward.
-Loop the cord around your left hand loosely.
-Grab it with your right hand and keep the palm facing up.
-As you follow your left hand, turn your right hand so that the thumbs meet.
-Hold it with your left hand now.
-Keep doing it until the whole cord is coiled.
-Use a Velcro fastener to keep it together.
The cable part ends here. Now, let’s go to the next point.
4. Replace Headphone Pads When Needed
Headphone pads absorb moisture and humidity over time, whether it is made of protein leather or not. Water causes the pads to be fragile and cracked. Some pads even get rotten if you leave them for a long time. It may affect the sound quality and comfortability of your headphones.
Velcro strips help you to keep the cord of your headphone fold properly.
So, change your headphone pads occasionally.
We all know that water is the number one enemy of any electronic goods. So, we must avoid moisture to keep our headphones safe. Do you want to know the details about it? Then take your eyes below.
5. Avoid Contact With Water
Water can damage any electronic device for good. If your headphone gets soaked somehow, pour rubbing alcohol over the wet headphone and keep them for a few hours to dry.
To avoid moisture from weather conditions, you can put silica gel with your headphones in the headphone case. It will draw out the water from your headphones.
You can do the same with your drenched earphones.
Now, let’s know why we shouldn’t leave our headphones plugged in.
6. Unplug Your Headphone After Use
Don’t keep the headphone plugged in. It weakens the internal springs of the jack. Unplugging it after use will protect the audio connector and the part where the cord and the jack are connected.
Then you should keep the audio sound low to make your headphone long-lasting. Are you curious – why? Don’t worry. I am explaining it to you.
7. Keep The Volume At A Moderate Level
Don’t listen to music with high volume. It may not damage your headphone in a short time but it will cause permanent damage in the long run. High volume can make the sound-producing mechanism and damage the moving parts of the headphones.
High volume is not only harmful for your headphones, it also can cause severe damage to your ears, sometimes even hearing loss.
Never charge your headphones inside a car parking under the direct sunlight.
One more thing, keep the volume low before unplugging or plugging your headphone. It may save the speakers from getting damaged.
Let’s go to the next point.
8. Don’t Sleep With Your Headphone
Avoid sleeping with your headphones. It can harm your headphone cords while rolling over on it.
Now, I am going to discuss an important thing that is the impedance of headphones. Stay with me to know the details.
9. Match The Impedance With The Audio Source
The interaction between the electronic currents of the headphones and the audio source is called headphone impedance.
If you use your headphones on a powerful power source, it can burn the headphone. That’s why the audio source and the headphone should pair well.
Moreover, your headphone doesn’t provide the highest audio quality when they mismatch.
One last point I am describing now that is especially for wireless headphones.
10. Keep A Charging Schedule For Your Wireless Headphone
You should follow a regular charging schedule to boost up the performance of the battery of your wireless headphone. An improper or messy charging schedule can harm the internal circuits. The battery shouldn’t be completely drained out before charging. Don’t overcharge it either.
My discussion on making the headphones long-lasting ends here.
Maybe you are curious to know about some headphones that last longer. Don’t worry. I am here to remove all your curiosity. Just take your eyes below.
Headphones That Last The Longest
There are many durable and long-lasting headphones in the market. Here I am going to mention some of them.
- Sennheiser Momentum 2.0
- V-MODA Crossfade
- Sony MDR-1000X
- Symphonized Wraith 2.0
- Sennheiser HD1
- Jaybird Vista True Wireless
One thing should always be remembered. Even if your headphone is of high quality, you have to maintain a proper caring process to make it last longer. You must follow the instructions I have given here.
Let’s conclude the topic now.
Conclusion
There is a saying that you will get what you have paid for. So, buy a good quality headphone first and then take good care of it.
The combination of these two will make your headphones last longer. Then you will never get disappointed.
