The battery of wireless headphones , like that of any other device that has a battery , ends up degrading over time and reaches a point where it lasts practically nothing or even stops working at all. If this is your case, in this article we are going to tell you how to repair headphones with battery problems, including the option to change it for a new one yourself.
It does not matter that you have applied all the good practices that have been and have been and that your headphones work like the first day: there comes a time in all devices that run on battery that the battery stops working properly, potentially rendering the device unusable. And it is really a shame because, in reality, the battery of a headphones is a fairly cheap element and it does not take much work to replace as we are going to tell you below.
Symptoms that the headphone battery is not working well
Obviously, the first symptom that you will notice that the battery does not work as it should is that it lasts very little time; It is common for headphones that initially had an autonomy of, say, 10 hours, after a couple of years see this duration reduced to just 4 hours or even less. This indicates a normal wear (within what fits) of the battery, but if it lasts less than an hour or even if the device turns off within a few minutes of disconnecting it from the power, you will know that the time has come to take drastic measures.
There is also the possibility, and this is more frequent than you think, that the battery is in such bad condition that it swells and ends up “opening” the headphones forcibly from the inside (you can see an example of a swollen battery in the part of above). This is also very dangerous and you will run the risk of it exploding, so in that case we recommend changing it for a new one because there is no possible repair.
Finally, it is also related to a battery that does not work as it should when the wireless range of the headphones is reduced too much. The batteries supply a certain amount of voltage for the operation of the device, but when it wears out they provide less and less, so the wireless transmission power is also reduced.
How to repair a headset battery
Virtually all batteries built into headphones, whatever they are, are lithium-ion, NiMH or NiCd, so let’s see what we can do to repair them (the methods are the same as, for example, laptop battery).
Freeze battery
If the battery is NiMH or NiCd, by placing it in the freezer we manage to gel the battery electrolyte enough so that the charging process can overcome crystallization, at the same time that we reduce the movement of electrons inside so that they can join to electrical flow.
The ideal thing for this is that you disassemble the ear muff in which the battery is, that you disconnect it and remove it, but if you do not want to do it, nothing happens to put the complete device in, since we are going to protect it previously. To do this, cover the battery or the device with a dry cloth, and then put it in a plastic bag, ideally with a Ziploc closure. This is important as an unsealed plastic bag will not insulate the battery from moisture.
Once done, put the battery in the freezer for about 10 hours; After that time, take the device out of the freezer, remove its packaging and, very important, let it defrost in the air for a few hours. When it’s completely thawed, reinstall it and see if it worked.
Apply over voltage
Another method, more dangerous, is to apply over voltage to the battery, but you have to be very careful as we could cause it to explode if we are not careful. For this reason, it is advisable to use safety glasses and gloves in order to avoid possible mishaps.
The method consists of removing the battery, putting some thin cables in the pins and connecting them to a 5V USB source, preferably one with 2A or more intensity. You will obviously need an old USB cable that you can cut and strip the cables. In theory, you have to leave the battery connected for about 15 minutes, during which time the “extra” charge that we are putting into it will have restored part of its lost charge.
How to replace the battery with a new one
The process is really very simple since the vast majority of headphone batteries come with a connector that can have two or three pins. You will simply have to open the headphones to remove the battery, write down its reference or voltage and amperage, and get a match (in Chinese online stores and even on Amazon if the headphones are from a reputable brand it is very easy to find spare parts for this and they are also quite cheap). Then you simply remove a battery and install the new one, plugging the cable into place and closing the headphones again afterward.
In the event that your headphones do not have a battery connector and that it is soldered, you will have to desolder the cables with a fine-tipped soldering iron and do the reverse process when installing the new battery. The process does not have any complications but it is true that you have to be a little handyman for it.
In any case, we recommend that if when you open the headset to access the battery you see that the area has rust or that it is corroded, do not bother trying a repair or replacing the battery because, for safety, the most advisable thing is unfortunately replace the headphones with new ones as it is quite likely (especially if the initial symptom was that the headphones do not even turn on) that the electrical circuit of the headphones has been damaged.
