VintageShaay

Q: iPhone headphones suddenly not working properly?

I've had my iPhone 4S for no more than 4 months, and only took the headphones out a couple weeks ago.

At first they'd worked perfectly fine but then the mic stopped working on them so when I answered calls I couldn't respond with the headphones in or hear the call audio properly, at first I ignored this at thought of it as a glitch as it happened all the time but it was pretty irrelevant at the time.

They've been working fine in terms of listening to music and then over the christmas break they were put safely back in the box to stop them from breaking.

Yesterday I took them out again to plug them into my iPhone and realised that the sound had been effected too. It sounds muffled and tinny (you can no longer hear the bass and the vocals are extremely quiet) and I've tried using different headphones to check it was a phone problem but they all seem to work properly while plugged into the phone. When that didn't work I changed the EQ around which failed and I also tried checking if volume limit was on but that didn't work either. I've tried blowing in the socket to clear it out or cleaning the earbuds but that dosen't work either.

Is there any way I can fix the headphones because I'll have to wait atleast 3 weeks of early-morning journeys before I can get new ones

iPhone 4, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Jan 8, 2014 9:02 AM

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Q: iPhone headphones suddenly not working properly?

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  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Jan 10, 2014 9:47 AM in response to VintageShaay
    Community Specialists
    Jan 10, 2014 9:47 AM in response to VintageShaay

    Hello VintageShaay,

     

    It sounds like you are getting some audio issues with the included Ear Buds when they are plugged in. I wanted to recommend these troublehsooting steps from the article named:
    Troubleshooting iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch accessories

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2634

    3. Disconnect and Restart

    Disconnect the accessory and turn it off, if possible. Restart iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad by turning it off and then back on. When the Home screen reappears, reconnect the accessory.

    4. Isolate

    Isolate the issue to the accessory, if possible. Or, if available, try to reproduce the issue with another identical or similar accessory.

    Examples:

    • If there is static coming from the left audio channel when using headphones, try connecting the headphones to a stereo, or try connecting a different set of headphones to the device.
    • If the device is not syncing when connected to the dock, try connecting it directly to the computer using the Dock Connector to USB Cable, or try another USB port.

    6. Restore iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

    Restore iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to its factory default state. You should rarely need to use this step with an accessory issue. If the issue only affects a third-party accessory, contact the manufacturer before restoring the device.

     

    Also if that does not resolve the issue, try the steps from the following article:

    Apple EarPods: Low or muffled sound

    http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4395

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

    All the very best,

    Sterling