Playback stopping after 15 seconds on iPod Shuffle

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Playback stopping after 15 seconds on iPod Shuffle

My wife recently bought me an iPod Shuffle and some Skullcandy Method headphones for Christmas. The plan was to use them for running (Skullcandy are more comfortable than most in-ear headphones, Apple included).

Unfortunately, when I try to play music after about 15 seconds of playback the track abruptly fades and then stops. If I press play again, the track will begin again then fade and stop after 15 seconds... and so on! The battery is fully charged. The period of time before the music stops seems very precise so I don't think it's a faulty connection.

I've not had much luck trying to identify the issue - this query doesn't seem to be that common. Skullcandy's FAQs states that the headphones are compatible with my iPod model: http://www.skullcandy.eu/customer-service/faq/faq.html

I've tried the following with no success:

Restoring the iPod
Using Disk Utility to scan and repair the iPod
Leaving it to fully charge (just in case iTunes was somehow misreading the amount of charge on the iPod)

I have tried it with other headphones too - Apple and some AKG - which seemed to solve the issue. BUT Apple's headphones are useless for running and my AKGs are for studio use only. I want to use the Skullcandy headphones!! It's a 3.5mm jack, it should just work!

So, my questions are:

Has anyone else had or heard of this issue (with Skullcandy or any other headphones)?
Is there a known compatibility issue? (I don't care about the functionality of the control button of the headphones working with the iPod - I just want the playback to function properly).
Does anyone have any suggestions for solving this issue or a work around, short of buying new headphones?

Thanks,

J

iPod Shuffle (2GB) 4th Gen 1.0.3

iMac (27-Inch, Late 2013) running El Capitan 10.11.2

Skullcandy Method (S2CDGY-405)

iPod shuffle (4th generation, Mid 2015), null

Posted on Jan 25, 2016 6:30 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Kenichi Watanabe

Level 8

41,572 points

Jan 26, 2016 2:31 AM in response to derelict85

If it works properly with other headphones, the cause must be the Skullcandy headphones. It is either defective, or the design is not compatible in some way. Looks like these headphones have control buttons on the cord. Maybe there is a short-circuit that is causing a faulty signal to pause playback.

The "15 seconds" may be the shuffle "timing out" because it does not recognize that headphones are plugged in. The fit may be different between headphones, so make sure the plug is fully inserted into headphones jack of shuffle. It is tighter than expected when shuffle is brand new.

Do you have another device, like an iPhone, to try with the Skullcandy? Or you can also try it with your iMac. Your iMac can use the remote control signals from the cord, so run iTunes and play a song to see if anything unusual happens.

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Answer 2

derelict85 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 26, 2016 2:31 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

That's the thing, I've tried the same headphones on my iPhone and Mac and they work fine. The jack is definitely pushed all the way in. I think I'm going to try to get a new pair of headphones and take it from there. Your suggestion of the iPod timing out (due to not recognising the headphones) sounds like the most likely answer.

Thanks,

J

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