For most people, earphones are a good source of entertainment or a means of blocking out the rest of the world. Sometimes perfectly working earphones can pose issues due to certain reasons, and one of them is sound issues from one side. If you are looking for how to fix earphones no sound, this is a good read for a quick fix.
The sound problem can arise from different reasons, and one of the primary reasons is a broken or disconnected wire connection. It may happen due to the jack issue that connects to the audio player, mobile, or laptop port. There is a potential fix for every problem you face, as nothing is impossible in this tech world.
Having earphones that don’t work properly can be annoying. Sometimes, replacing a few parts or fixing broken connections will normally work again without any other needed changes. It usually saves you the money needed to purchase a brand new pair and typically takes less than 20 minutes which is quicker than going to the store.
If you are having difficulty with your headphones only work in one ear on laptop or mobile, we have several easy tips to help guide you back to enjoying music. Things like these can happen with some complications involved. But don’t worry, our quick fixes will make it so that you won’t need to call customer service or send back your newest gadget.
Headphones Only Work in One Ear General Fixes
Sometimes, when your earphones are only playing in either one ear, most people assume it’s a problem with their earphones and spend the next few hours looking for spare headphones or shopping around for a replacement.
When you lose sound in one of your earphones, it’s easy to believe that the problem lies in itself. But before discarding them, let’s first determine whether the problem happens by your mobile phone or other USB devices such as your laptop or PC. Follow these steps to check whether the issue lies with the audio source or stems from a glitch on your earphones.
1) Checking the Jack
Partial connectivity is why the headphones don’t work for both ears. If you have an issue with the wired Samsung earphones one side not working, the first step in troubleshooting is checking the headphone jack. The jack placement is critical as it needed a full insertion into the 3.5mm port with a slight click sound.
If a jack isn’t inserted into a socket correctly, you might experience issues with your earbuds not working. It is especially common if one of your headphones happens to be louder than the other, even though there shouldn’t be an issue at all with that particular quality.
To fix this problem, remove your earphones from your audio player and try plugging the jack back in by reinserting into the hole on the audio device. Inspect the jack for any dirt or debris built up in there over time, using something like a clean cloth or cotton swab dipped in water and then let dry to get rid of anything built up in there.
Again plug the earphones jack and observer the sound. If the issue persists, you can go ahead with the next steps.
2) Mono Settings
Listening to the songs on the mono settings can reduce the ability of the audio to reach both ears. If you listen to a mono track on mono settings, the probability is there that you cannot hear the sound in both ears.
If your Android headphones only work in one ear, the possible cause is that you have turned on the mono settings. Go to your device Settings and look for the Audio Settings (usually labeled as Sound Settings) to resolve this issue. Look for the Mono Sound or Mono Audio option and disable it immediately.
Now again, check the earphone functionality. If the problem persists, look for the Ease of Access options as Mono Audio settings are sometimes present under this label.
3) Dirt Accumulation
Over time it seems possible that your earbuds have become dirty or clogged, so closely examine the defective side to see whether you can find dirt, dust, or ear wax buildup. Follow the next simple steps if you find it necessary and notice that your earbuds are dirty.
A vacuum cleaner with a small opening when cleaning the earphones will ensure that dirt and other contaminants get sucked out of the earphones. After vacuuming, wipe off the exposed area of the earphones using a cotton swab soaked in lukewarm water or an alcohol-based solution.
If you have special headphones with removable covers, then to clean them, you should remove the covers and then dip the cotton swabs in lukewarm. Covering wire mesh is fine if you happen to own a pair of normal headphones. Cleaning them is going to require more than just cleaning the mesh. It will resolve the issues related to Bluetooth headphones only work in one ear.
4) Looking for Water Damage
Despite manufacturer specifications, all electronic devices are subject to damage by water. For example, earbuds seem to be particularly vulnerable because they have so many parts structured in such a small place.
Sweat from your head can easily infiltrate the device and cause oxidation, as well as factors like rain or precipitation that come into contact with your earbuds when you are outside.
If the damage happens to have occurred recently. You can use the cotton swab or any water-absorbing material. It is better to use a rice container as rice can absorb the water from the substances. Using synthetic desiccants packets also helps quickly absorb the moisture from the headphones.
Repairing Wireless Headphones
Diagnosing Bluetooth speakers requires a different method of troubleshooting. If only one side of headphones work on computer Windows 10, then the first thing you should do is unpair them with your mobile device or music player. Alternatively, you could also completely turn off your headset and then turn it back on again, which might fix the issue altogether.
To do so, press the power button on your earphones for a few seconds. The power indicator will start to flash the LEDs. It will help reset the earphones and then engage them in the restart. Now pair them with your device and check if the problem gets resolved or not.
Related Article: How To Use Headset Mic On PC With One Jack?
1) Resetting Your Device
If doing all the above steps does not resolve your issues, and you are still uncertain about how to fix earphones with no sound, resetting your device can help. If you wonder why do my headphones only work in one ear, resetting can help.
Ensure to take a backup of your device to prevent any data loss. Sometimes glitches can cause issues with the connectivity. Resetting your device ensures that these glitches get removed. Connect your earphones again with the device to check whether the problem persists.
2) Look for Wire Damage
When dealing with headphone wires, keep in mind that they should remain straightened as much as possible. The strands of each wire can easily become tangled, so it’s best to avoid such a scenario.
So, if you notice that they have become tangled in the first place, try to fix the problem by straightening them out again and seeing if the issue you had initially is solved. If it’s not, think about twisting a small section of one end around the other.
Let the earphones remain connected to the device and play some audio. Twist the tangled wire and see whether the problem goes away. Closely monitor every portion and observe for any damage on the wires.
What to Do When Wired Headphones Only Work in One Ear?
There are several reasons why your set of wired or wireless headphones only work in one ear on computer or smartphone. You must identify the problem and know how to resolve the issue before trying any fixes below.
Before you repair your broken headphones, please keep in mind that it is not covered under warranty. If within the warranty period the device stops working and plays music in only one ear, contact customer service of your brand and explain a situation.
1) Repairing Wire Near Jack
Sometimes, when people are in a hurry, they tend to yank their headsets out too quickly and end up pulling the jack right out of their mobile phones or laptops. However, they may not know that this can also damage their plug if they pull at it instead of using the plastic base to help you wiggle the cord out gently.
The steps involved in fixing the damaged wires are:
- Use a cutter or knife to peel off the plastic around the cord and a headphone jack that needs repairing.
- Identify the area of broken wires and cut them.
- Now peel the internal wires and expose them. Initially, use a cutter or knife followed by a lighter or match to burn the plastic insulation from the wire briefly.
- Use the soldering iron to solder the wires together.
- Ensure connecting the right wires to the wires at another end.
- Check the earphones to see if they started working successfully.
- Cover the wires using electrical or insulating tape.
2) Repairing Shorted Wire
Another reason for headphones not working properly is that wires have become disconnected. It usually happens when the headphones are tangled or when the cord gets wrapped improperly. If you wonder why are my headphones not working when I plug them in, follow the steps below on locating and reconnecting wires that get unexpectedly disconnected.
- Start the identification of the short wires by plugging the headphones into the device and playing audio.
- Locate the damaged part by listening to the audio and bending the wires at every inch. Keep the search going until you find the right spot.
- Mark the damaged portion and remove it using a knife or cutter.
- Expose the internal wires individually using any tool and peel them fine.
- Ensure that you connect the right wire at both ends.
- To expose the wires finer, use lighter or match.
- Check the sound after connecting the wires.
- Once you get satisfactory results, insulate the cord using insulation tape.
- Enjoy listening to your favorite tracks without buying new earphones.
3) Repairing Faulty Wiring Within Defective Earphones
When a pair of earbuds has a loose wire, they may play only the left or right channel instead of both. When this occurs, it usually means that the wires connecting the two earpieces have disconnected during use. It is common for those who wear their earbuds daily.
Here are the steps which can help you fix the faulty wiring of the earphones.
- Use a flat blade screwdriver or any other similar tool to open the casing of the earphones.
- Open the earphones front ear by detaching the nail clipper’s lever.
- Don’t use force to open the earbud, or you can cut or rip the wires that attach to the front cover.
- Use wire to facilitate the process by pushing the cord through the earbud’s housing.
- Doing so can help open the front case and expose the internals for repair.
- Use the soldering iron to solder the loose wire and test the earphones before closing them.
What to Do When Wireless Headphones Only Work in One Ear?
By fixing a few common issues with wireless headphones, one can learn to avoid the frustration of bouncing cords and straining headsets. A few broken pairs are bound to happen, but these can be reprieved by following simple steps for quick fixes when technology fails. If your beats headphones only work in one ear, you can use these steps.
1) Repairing the Halfway Point Issue
If your headphones are working perfectly when the aux cable jack is connected but only start working on one side when you switch to wireless mode, it’s very likely a connection issue of some kind.
These issues can occur when your headphone’s jack or the mechanical trigger stop it is malfunctioning, causing an interrupter in the circuit of one of the speakers. These steps can help you deal with the wireless headphones only working in one ear.
- Take the aux cable plug, insert it into the jack port, and remove it.
- Repeat the step several types with various angles to identify the trigger point. It will push the mechanical trigger in place.
- Once the trigger point hits, connect the Bluetooth headphones again to check the resolved issue.
2) Repairing Broken Internal Wires
If your earphones won’t stop cutting in and out even after being fully charged, start to check for damaged or displaced wires in the hardware. Read the steps on repairing Bluetooth headphones so that you know what to do if your earphones don’t work like they are supposed to. Here are the steps to try to get rid of this issue.
- Remove the casing of the device and open it for the examination.
- Spot any damaged or broken wires and try to solder them using a soldering iron.
- Now get back to closing the casing the returning the components insides the casing.
- After completing the process, turn the Bluetooth on and test the Earphone whether they are working or not. Seal them if they start the work again.
Durability is very important in regards to headphones. You don’t want to have to buy a new pair every month, and you don’t want an entire set of headphones to be useless because they don’t last long.
FINAL NOTE
With the help of our tips above, you should be able to repair your earphones quickly and efficiently. Many people prefer getting a new one, but this can honestly make you spend more in the long run. You see, reusing things is important because it helps save money and reduce wastes that could have just been thrown out into the environment, which we all, later on, breathe in. So, think about what’s best for you and your family and society.