A few weeks ago I bought a pair of earphones. I was happy and dazzled by the music.But bad luck is my true friend that never leaves me alone.
Yes! I broke my new earbuds after a few days.
Why do earbuds break so easily?
This question became a headache for me. I kept surfing through the internet to find why my earphone broke.
And finally, I found the answer. I was surprised when I knew about the reasons.
So, if you face the same problem, then you don’t need to search around like me as I will explain the reason today.
Just go through this write-up for all the details.
Reasons: Why Do Earbuds Break So Easily?
There are so many reasons behind the breaking of earbuds.
First, I will describe the reasons which are applicable for both wired and wireless earbuds breaking.
Let’s go through them one by one.
1. Sleeping with Earbuds on
Do you love to listen to music to fall asleep?
If yes, then do think your earbuds are made with supernatural power!
It can get crushed easily underneath you while you sleep on one side.
When you fall asleep with your earphones on, the wire gets tangled with your clothes.
At that time, if you switch your sleeping position, the wire gets pulled away from the earbuds.
As a result, they broke quickly.
2. Listening to Music with Loud Volume
I love to listen to music at a high volume. It makes me feel like I am on the seventh cloud of the world.
Anyway, how is loud volume related to breaking the earbuds?
Pretty weird! Right?
Loud volume can break the internal circuit of the earphone.
When you continuously level up your volume, the internal earphone circuit can’t handle the noise needed to process.
After some time, you will notice the cracking and scratchy sound, which indicates that your earphone speaker has broken.
It’s possible to get a small electric shock due to loud volume. Though it’s rare to occur.
And this was the main reason why I had to say goodbye to my earbuds.
Alas! I wish I knew it before.
Anyway, let’s move on to another reason.
3. Exposing Earbuds to Moisture and Sweat
Earbuds get exposed to sweat and moisture when you exercise with them.
Besides, if you are a sweaty person then it can also happen to your earphones.
The moisture gets soaked into the device, and the electronic components get damaged.
Sweat or water in the ear canal leads to an ear infection.
One of my friends always faces a problem with his right earbuds. He told me that his right side of the earphone always breaks first before the left one.
Then, do you want to know why the right earbud keeps going out?
Some people like to wear the right earbuds while talking because the mic is attached to the right wire.
Therefore the right one gets more exposed to sweat and moisture than the left one. And that’s why you experience cracking and fuzzy noise in your right earbud.
4. Not Using The Earphone Case
The earbuds are made from plastic material. If you toss them into your backpack or pocket where you also carry heavy belongings, they can crush the earbuds.
As the earbuds are tiny objects, they can come out unconsciously and fall on the ground when you try to take something out from your pocket.
Eventually, it will break from the dropping.
You can avoid all these situations by putting your earbuds into the case.
Yet, there is a high chance that they will break from dropping.
5. Low Build Quality
You always get what you pay for. Some Cheap earbuds have low build quality.
It’s not like your expensive earphones won’t break, but they will last longer than the cheaper ones.
Remember, quality comes with a price tag. A decent headphone will cost you a couple more bucks.
If you pay less, you have to sacrifice the quality.
But still, some low-budget earphones have a good build quality and they can last long too.
Now, the upcoming points are based on the cord.
So, obviously they will be related only to the wired earbuds.
Let’s check them out.
6. Pulling the Earbuds Cord When Disconnecting Them
Pulling the cord is the most common reason why earphones break.
Let’s imagine a scenario. You are listening to music with earphones on your computer. At that moment, your doorbell ranged.
You ran at full speed to open the door. Do you know what just happened?.
Yes, the earbuds ripped out of your ears.
Some people even forcefully tug their earphone wires while disconnecting them from the device. As a result, the earbuds break too soon.
Now, enough with pulling and tugging.
Let’s go to the next reason, which is the most surprising one.
7. Leaving the cables dangling off any surface
After using headphones, we often let the wires dangle off the desk, couch, or bed. Leaving the earphone like this puts stress on the wire and creates a weak point.
And if the same point gets bent on multiple times, then the wire will tear off after some time.
So, your wired earphone will become nothing but a piece of junk!
It looks like you shouldn’t let your earphone wires dangle like a monkey swinging from a tree branch.
8. Twisting the Cords into Knot
Do you twist the cord of your earphone so that they don’t tangle?
And then whining, why do my earbuds keep breaking!
Yeah, I know twisting the cable is the best way to manage them from tangling.
But when you knot them in a tight loop, the cord breaks easily. Sometimes the internal wires get loose and can’t transmit the audio properly.
Sometimes, a short circuit can occur on one side of the wire.
So, if you ever wonder why your earbuds always break in one ear, then this is one of the reasons behind it.
Until now, you have learned about why earbuds break so easily. But there is a solution to every problem.
I know you want the solution to stop the earbuds from breaking.
So, without any further ado, let’s go for the solution.
How to Prevent Earbuds from Breaking?
‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’
You can stop the earbuds from breaking by following the below methods.
1. Carefully Remove The Jack
Be a gentleman!
Try to unplug your earphone without stressing the cable. Don’t leave the jack attached to the device.
You may not know when the cable gets snatched from the jack due to some unusual pulling.
2. Get an Earphone Case
Usually, AirPods come with a case. But if your earbuds don’t have a case, then get one from your nearby tech shop.
It will protect the earphone from friction with your other belongings. And, it will also lessen the damage from sudden dropping.
If you like to wear your earbuds while exercising, then the following solution is for you.
3. Use Moisture Proof Cover
You already know that sweat and moisture damages the earphone speaker. To avoid this situation, you can use a moisture-proof cover on your earbuds.
Or, you can get waterproof earbuds too.
4. Follow Safe Volume for Headphone
I know that listening to music at a high volume is always fun and relaxing.
Listening to music with loud volume can cause severe hearing damage.
As the loud volume damages the speaker, try to follow a safe volume level for your earphone.
In that way, your speaker will be safe as well as your hearing.
5. Don’t Sleep with Your Earbuds On
Music may help you to fall asleep, but you should stop wearing them while sleeping.
When you sleep on one side, the earbuds get pressurized from your weight. And it can break immediately or after some time.
As I am concerned about your health, I want to share a piece of information that you might not know.
If you wear your earbuds overnight, there is a risk of getting an ear infection and listener fatigue.
I believe in quality over quantity. In the next part, I will discuss why the quality of your earbuds matters.
6. Quality Matters
You can buy a cheap earphone, but it will wear off sooner than a quality one.
My younger brother once bought a cheap pair of Skullcandy headphones. He was even careful with the cords.
But the wire came out from the jack after using them for two weeks.
That day I realized, why do Skullcandy earbuds break so easily?
The reason is, some of their earbuds are made from low-quality plastic.
Even though they are an affordable option, the sound quality is really awful. I suggest you check on the user review of their headphones before buying.
Because some Skullcandy earphones have good build quality and they are affordable too.
You can also check out the warranty to ensure how long they will last.
Wait! Wait!
What if you follow all the prevention? Will your earbuds last forever?
Of course not. At some point, the earphone will break naturally.
Then, how long should earbuds last?
You will find the answer in the later section.
Average Lifespan of Earbuds
On average, a good pair of earbuds will last for six months to one year.
Yet, it depends on how often you use them.
In most cases, earphones start to lose sound on one side after six months, indicating internal damage.
Some quality earbuds last for one year without any external or internal harm.
And, if you get lucky, there is a chance that your earbuds will last more than one year.
Okay, suppose you invest in an expensive earphone.
Then, it broke after some time. You got unlucky because you followed all the precautions.
What will you do? Will you throw the earbuds away?
Maybe you will throw them. Right?
But, let me tell you something. In specific cases, you can repair your earphone too!
Yes, in my upcoming segment, I will let you know how to fix broken earbuds.
Fix Your Broken Earbuds Easily
First, you need to know where the earbuds have broken.
The most common problem is: the one side of the earphone is not working.
If you are facing this problem, then follow the below steps to fix them.
- Solder the loose wire with the earbuds.
- Secure it with electrical tape.
- Replace the speaker.
If both earbuds stop working, Then:
- Find the loose wire near the jack.
- Solder the wire with the connector.
- Secure the join with a piece of tape.
If the sound is unclear, Then:
- Twist the wire for few times.
- Tape the joining point of the jack and wire.
All of the above solutions will work in a few cases.
The best solution is to replace your earbuds.
Conclusion
Here we are at the end of our discussion, and I hope you already know why earbuds break so easily.
You can maximize the total lifespan of your earbuds by following all the prevention methods that I gave you above.
Lastly, I hope you enjoyed the time we spent together through this article.