For office workers in general, headphones are an essential part of their work setup. Many headphones can still function well after years. However, over time, battery life will certainly not be as good as when they were new, but overall the headphones are still usable without any serious problems.
There's a reason they're so durable. The secret to making your headphones last longer lies in how you use them.
Tips for keeping your headphones lasting longer.
How to extend the lifespan of your headphones
As mentioned, if there's one thing you'll learn over the years, it's that the lifespan of headphones doesn't depend on brand or price, but rather on how you use them. Even if you buy high-end headphones from the most reputable brands, they will still break if you're careless.
If you upgrade your headphones annually (or even every two years) or change them daily, you probably don't think about their lifespan. But if you want to use your headphones for a long time, adopting a few simple habits can make a big difference.
1. Treat headphones like fragile items!
Always be careful how you handle your headphones. The general rule is to treat them like fragile items, not disposable accessories. Don't believe the advertisements! That's a mantra you should apply to all your electronic devices, not just headphones.
Don't just toss them into your backpack without a protective case, and don't yank the cords out! Be gentle when putting them on or taking them off, and wrap the cables in loose loops instead of tightly coiled ones to prevent tangling. Equip yourself with a protective case for your headphones to store them in your backpack.
There are plenty of options on e-commerce platforms. Just make sure your headphones will fit comfortably in the case before clicking the buy button.
2. Clean your headphones regularly.
Cleanliness is equally important in extending the lifespan of your headphones. This is especially true if you have an active lifestyle and use headphones while exercising. After all, headphone use will inevitably lead to the accumulation of sweat, oil, and dirt. Strictly adhering to a weekly headphone cleaning routine is beneficial because, among other advantages, it helps slow down the degradation of materials, such as torn foam or cracked leather.
The process for cleaning headphones is very simple: Dampen a cloth with clean water mixed with a little soap, then use it to wipe both the ear pads and the earcups. Be careful to avoid getting them wet, just like when cleaning earbuds.
If the ear pads are completely worn out, you can search for replacements online. You'll likely find one that fits your headphone model perfectly.
3. Avoid listening to music at maximum volume.
Occasionally blasting your favorite music at maximum volume sounds great. But that's not good for your ears or your headphones. While your headphones can handle a certain maximum volume level, they aren't designed to sustain that volume for extended periods.
Whenever you play music at very high volume, it pushes the headphone driver beyond its operating range, leading to overload. Therefore, playing music for extended periods will reduce the lifespan of internal components such as the driver, thereby affecting sound quality and forcing you to upgrade sooner than expected.
This is even worse with wireless headphones, as playing music at maximum volume drains the battery faster. Therefore, you'll need to charge your headphones frequently, which can quickly reduce battery life.
4. Listen to music through a wired connection as much as possible.
Anker headphones offer two connection options. With this model, you can connect via the available 3.5mm jack or use Bluetooth . Having multiple connection options is a feature many people never overlook when buying a new pair of headphones. As mentioned, battery life will gradually decrease with use. Therefore, avoid using Bluetooth as much as possible.
Of course, not all headphones offer you two connection options, so you might not be able to do this. However, if your headphones only have a single USB-C port, check the user manual to see if they support USB-C audio . If they do, you can listen via cable using a compatible cable.