Maintaining earphones to last long is not just as easy as it sounds, most smartphone users complain bitterly about their earphones not lasting long as they wish even when they try to carefully handle it. Let's answer this question; What's the longest period your earpiece last you? And how did you manage to make it last long to that extent?
Generally the quality or price of the earphones you opt in for really have a longer way to go when it comes to earphone maintaince.
Most cheap earphones products do not have a long lasting capability, They either stop working,or you have the sounding awful thereby announcing their end.
Now, after you have purchased a good quality earphone let's look at some practices to make them last longer.
Parts of an Earphone
A: Connectors, B: Nozzle, C: Detached Cable
1. Keep Them Properly
Proper storage of your earphones is your first line of defense. That's why most quality earphones come with a storage case or pouch. Rather than wrapping the cable around your device or bunching it up, disconnect the earphones from your device and coil it using either the "over-over" or "over-under" method. After the cable is coiled properly, place your earphones and cable in their pouch or case. Many earphone problems are the result of a cable failure caused by stretching or tearing which results to one or both part of an earphone failure.
2. Keep the Earphones and Cable Clean
Just like the way you keep your car clean by regular cleaning, that the same approach to taking care of your earphone.Take a paper towel and wipe down the cable and connector jack after each use in those situations. At home, try mixing in Dawn® brand detergent in warm water and lightly wipe down the cable to remove oils that have collected on it from your skin.
3. Use the Cleaning Tool
Your ears produce earwax to moisturize your ear canals, fight off infection and help keep dust, dirt, and other debris from getting deep inside your ear. In other words, earwax might be gross but it's a good thing! Earwax build-up is often the cause of poor earphone performance. Remove the sleeves from your earphones and use the provided cleaning tool to clear earwax from the nozzle.
One other suggestion – keep your ears clean, but don't try removing what may feel like excessive earwax with a cotton swab. An occluded ear canal is a 30-second task for a medical professional.
4. Check Connections
Make sure the connectors between the earphones and the earphone cable are clean. Many higher-end earphones have detachable cables. If yours do, remove the earphones from the cable and make sure there isn't any moisture or debris buildup. A cotton swab is usually all that's required, but using some DeoxIT® D100L-CPK cleaner on the end of the cotton swab can also help protect those connections. When you reconnect them, don't forget to match up the R and L markings on the earphones and cable properly!
5. Keep Them Dry
If your earphones have been in use while you've exercised, gigged or been caught in the rain, dry them off with a towel and place them in a container with a desiccant (moisture absorber) packet in it for about 48 hours. Silica gel packets, if you have any on hand, can be reused if they're allowed to dry between uses. And if you don't want to invest in purchasing a few packets, rice is a handy substitute. Do not put your earphones in the microwave!
6. Replace the Sleeves
Earphones are designed to last for many years, but foam, rubber or silicone sleeves will still degrade over time. This may result in the loss of the earphones' ability to block ambient noise that will end up diminishing the overall sound quality. Audiophiles may choose to replace theirs on a regular basis, but you may want to put this on your own periodic earphones maintenance checklist. Replacement sleeves can be ordered from most manufacturers of high quality earphones. It's always a good idea to keep a few spares on hand.
Generally the quality or price of the earphones you opt in for really have a longer way to go when it comes to earphone maintaince.
Most cheap earphones products do not have a long lasting capability, They either stop working,or you have the sounding awful thereby announcing their end.
Now, after you have purchased a good quality earphone let's look at some practices to make them last longer.
Parts of an Earphone
A: Connectors, B: Nozzle, C: Detached Cable
1. Keep Them Properly
Proper storage of your earphones is your first line of defense. That's why most quality earphones come with a storage case or pouch. Rather than wrapping the cable around your device or bunching it up, disconnect the earphones from your device and coil it using either the "over-over" or "over-under" method. After the cable is coiled properly, place your earphones and cable in their pouch or case. Many earphone problems are the result of a cable failure caused by stretching or tearing which results to one or both part of an earphone failure.
2. Keep the Earphones and Cable Clean
Just like the way you keep your car clean by regular cleaning, that the same approach to taking care of your earphone.Take a paper towel and wipe down the cable and connector jack after each use in those situations. At home, try mixing in Dawn® brand detergent in warm water and lightly wipe down the cable to remove oils that have collected on it from your skin.
3. Use the Cleaning Tool
Your ears produce earwax to moisturize your ear canals, fight off infection and help keep dust, dirt, and other debris from getting deep inside your ear. In other words, earwax might be gross but it's a good thing! Earwax build-up is often the cause of poor earphone performance. Remove the sleeves from your earphones and use the provided cleaning tool to clear earwax from the nozzle.
One other suggestion – keep your ears clean, but don't try removing what may feel like excessive earwax with a cotton swab. An occluded ear canal is a 30-second task for a medical professional.
4. Check Connections
Make sure the connectors between the earphones and the earphone cable are clean. Many higher-end earphones have detachable cables. If yours do, remove the earphones from the cable and make sure there isn't any moisture or debris buildup. A cotton swab is usually all that's required, but using some DeoxIT® D100L-CPK cleaner on the end of the cotton swab can also help protect those connections. When you reconnect them, don't forget to match up the R and L markings on the earphones and cable properly!
5. Keep Them Dry
If your earphones have been in use while you've exercised, gigged or been caught in the rain, dry them off with a towel and place them in a container with a desiccant (moisture absorber) packet in it for about 48 hours. Silica gel packets, if you have any on hand, can be reused if they're allowed to dry between uses. And if you don't want to invest in purchasing a few packets, rice is a handy substitute. Do not put your earphones in the microwave!
6. Replace the Sleeves
Earphones are designed to last for many years, but foam, rubber or silicone sleeves will still degrade over time. This may result in the loss of the earphones' ability to block ambient noise that will end up diminishing the overall sound quality. Audiophiles may choose to replace theirs on a regular basis, but you may want to put this on your own periodic earphones maintenance checklist. Replacement sleeves can be ordered from most manufacturers of high quality earphones. It's always a good idea to keep a few spares on hand.
