Short answer: no
We would be happy to repair them. Really. Every device we repair is a win against the big boys of the throwaway culture, and we like winning. But we can't repair headphones from other brands, and the reason isn't laziness or lack of skill.
The reason is simple: other manufacturers don't sell spare parts.
Why aren't spare parts available?
Because the business logic of big corporations works like this: it's cheaper for you to buy new headphones (it's more profitable for them to sell you new ones). Repairability isn't a bug, it's a feature – one the big brands don't want to offer.
When the headphones break after 18 months, the manufacturer shrugs and points you to their web store. There are no spare parts, no exploded views are published, and no service manuals exist. The device is designed to be disposable, even though the marketing department talks about sustainability.
Greenwashing at its finest.
How does Valco do things differently?
We design our headphones to be repairable. The pads come off with a twist. The batteries can be replaced. Hannes and the rest of the service team sit in Kajaani repairing devices every day, because we have the spare parts, tools, and the knowledge of how the devices are assembled.
This isn't charity. It's good business. A satisfied customer buys their next headphones from us, tells their friends, and simultaneously helps fund our Death Star. Everybody wins – except the big corporations, and that's perfectly fine by us.
So what can you do?
If you have broken headphones from another brand, unfortunately your options are these:
- Contact the original manufacturer. If the warranty is still valid, they may replace the device with a new one. They most likely won't repair it.
- Try a local electronics repair shop. Sometimes the fault is simple, like a loose wire or a worn connector.
- Buy Valco next time. We're not saying this just to sell — although of course we want to sell — but because the next time something breaks, we will actually repair it.
Even Henri's Alfa Romeo breaks all the time, but it doesn't get thrown away either. Though fixing it isn't our problem but the Italians'.
