Why Do My Headphones Sound Different & Weird?

Distorted and weird sounds can cause disturbance and ruin your experience when listening to your favorite music. In addition, it can be a big problem if you use your headphones for a meeting or a job task; as a result, you can miss important details.

Terrible sound quality can’t be avoided as it results in a bad experience and may cause a headache; problems in sound quality must be handled as soon as possible to provide you with the required concentration for tasks.

Why Do My Headphones Sound Different & Weird?

Headphones can produce different and weird sounds for many reasons; as a result, they are very common and can be experienced in almost any type of headphones. However, the headphone quality can affect how often you experience a weird or different sound. 

Damaged Wires

Any wired headphones consist of a rubber case that covers the headphone wires; these wires are known for being the weakest part of the headphones. The main problem is that they are the most important part of the headphones, as they carry the signal from the source to the headphones. 

The headphones’ wires can be damaged over time by plugging in and out because the wires when plugged in or out, can face unnecessary tension or be pulled. Another reason for damaged wires is improper management, like wrapping them too tight or keeping them loose when stored.

You can tell that you have damaged wires through internal damaged or frayed wires. As a result, you will notice a low performance from your headphones. 

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Blown and overpowered speakers

The second crucial part of any headphones is the speakers or the voice coil found inside the speakers. Any voice coil has a certain limit of power, which means you are used to always operating your headphones on a maximum volume level for long periods.

This will affect the lifetime of your speakers and weaken them, and in the end, can cause them to blow out. You can easily test if your speakers are blown out by using a multimeter device; you can follow the following steps:

1. Turn off your headphones before connecting them. 
2. Use the terminal of the multimeter to test the voice coil in the speakers of your headphones.
3. Observe the display of the multimeter.
4. If the impedance equals one, your speakers are in good condition.
5. If the multimeter reads an infinite impedance, your speakers are blown out. 

Connection Issues (Wired or Wireless)

Connection to the source can be a reason for different and weird sounds; if you are using wired headphones, you need to check your plug. If the plug is not connected to the source, try connecting it properly and test the sound again. 

Meanwhile, the headphones use Bluetooth instead of wires; if the codecs are mismatched, it can lead to the headphones producing weird and different sounds. There are many different Bluetooth codecs; each type can have its advantages and disadvantages; however, some headphones have limited codec selection.

For example, if your device uses a certain codec and forces it to use another one, this can impact its performance. The performance can not be predicted as it differs from one codec to another. Devices like MAC use AAC codecs when connected to devices that don’t support it; they use an SBC codec, which is unreliable. 

Wireless devices can be affected by the battery level; when the battery is low, this can affect the performance and make the headphone sound different from the sound you are used to. You can not face this issue in wired headphones, but you will face the problem of damaged wires. 

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Moisture Damage

Like any electronic device, headphones can be damaged when exposed to moisture or water; water can damage electrical components. Some headphones come with a water-resistant feature; however, this feature has a limit; if exceeded, this can lead to damage to the headphones.

Therefore, it’s better to know how much water or moisture your headphones can bear. You can do so by checking the IP rating of your headphones. IP rating determines how much your headphones resist water and other particles like dirt and dust. 

Accumulated Dirt

After using headphones for a long period, debris like earwax, dust, and lint can accumulate in your headphones. As a result, the performance of your headphones can get affected, and you start to hear different and weird sounds.

You must clean your headphones from time to time, preventing debris accumulation. Cleaning your headphones is not a complex process that requires a professional; you can clean your headphones by yourself.

Debris, like dust or dust, usually accumulates inside the speakers or around the connection point; you can use a cotton swab or compressed air to remove debris. When applying compressed air or using a cotton swab, you must do it gently to protect your headphones from damage.

Bad Audio Source

If you have tried all of the above solutions yet didn’t get any results, this brings you to the last solution. The audio source can be the problem, which is why you hear a different and weird sound. You should test your headphones with another source, so if you are using your laptop, try using your phone.

What to Do When Headphones Sound Different & Weird?

After knowing why your headphones sound different, you will need to implement a suitable solution. Each problem has a different solution; therefore, you should know why your headphones sound weird. Then, try the suitable solution from the following solutions:

Dirty Audio Port and Dirty Headphones

1. Bring a paperclip and unfold it to make it straight.
2. Wrap sticky tape around the paperclip’s straight end, and wrap it tightly to ensure it doesn’t fall off.
3. Insert the paperclip into the audio source port (laptop or phone) and remove any dust or dirt. 

Bad Wired Connection

After cleaning the audio port, you may find the headphone jack unstable due to corrosion inside the port. Therefore, you will need to remove the corrosion from the port; first, bring an interdental toothbrush and 70% isopropyl alcohol. 

1. Pour some 79% isopropyl alcohol into any plastic container or use a bottle sprayer.
2. Dip the brush into the alcohol or spray it with the bottle sprayer; make sure it is damp, not soaking wet. 
3. Turn off your device before inserting the brush into the audio port.
4. Insert the brush into the port and start moving up, down, and in circles to clean every spot.
5. Let the device dry for about an hour. 

Bad Wireless Connection

Unlike a wired connection, a bad wireless connection is caused due to codec incompatibility, which, unfortunately, can’t be bypassed. However, you can try a fix that maybe resolve this problem; you can try resetting your headphones to see if it makes a difference.

To reset your headphone, you will need to press the power button for about 5 seconds until your headphones’ light indicator starts flashing. Some headphones have different resetting processes because they can differ from brand to brand. You can visit your headphones brand site to learn how to reset your headphones.

Damaged Wires

Frayed and damaged wires can still be repaired; a suitable glue like Sugru Mouldable Glue is made out of silicone rubber. It can be used to repair any electrical damage as it’s an adhesive putty. In addition, it has many advantages like being flexible, moldable, waterproof, and durable.

1. Bring a clean piece of cloth and 70% isopropyl alcohol.
2. Dip the cloth into the alcohol, clean the wire from dust, oil, or debris, and let dry for about an hour.
3. You can use a shrinkable tube or Sugru Mouldable Glue; for the sugru glue, you need to roll it around the damaged area in the wire. 
4. If you find the texture is solid, you can soften it using your fingers to be able to roll on the wire. 
5. After wrapping the glue around the wire, let it dry for 24 hours.
6. If you are using a shrinkable tube, adjust it over the damaged area, and then using a lighter, apply heat to the tube until it shrinks.

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Blown Speakers

Blown speakers are a big problem as they can not be fixed and must be replaced with new ones. The difficulty of replacing speakers depends on the brand and the type of headphones. If it’s too complex, it’s better to consult a professional. 

1. If you have removable batteries or wires in your headphones, you must remove them before starting. 
2. Remove one of the ear pads from the headphone; you can see screws holding the speakers in place.
3. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws and gently remove the blown speaker.
4. Use a soldering iron to remove any wires connected to the speaker.
5. Connect the wires you removed from the old speaker to the new one using the soldering iron.
6. Place the speaker back and hold it in place using the screws you removed earlier.
7. After checking the new speaker, repeat the same steps for the other side of the headphone.

Moisture Damage 

Moisture damage is a serious problem for electronics because it can cause many problems, and some can be irreversible. However, you can try this fix to save your electronics; you will need a silica gel, 91% isopropyl alcohol, and a piece of cloth.

1. Lightly dip the cloth into the alcohol to make it damp, not wet, and then apply it to the areas where water has reached to remove any debris.
2. Bring an airtight container, fill it with silica gel, and place the headphones in it for about 12 hours to dry.
3. After the headphone dry, you can now test them. 

Final Thoughts – Why Do My Headphones Sound Different & Weird?

To summarize, one of the worst experiences is bad and muffled sound when using your headphones. In addition, headphones can sound weird and different for many reasons like moisture damage, blown speakers, damaged wires, and accumulated debris. 

To get your headphone back to their top performance, you need to find the main reason it sounds different and fix it. For example, you can try cleaning it or replacing the old speakers when newer ones.