Five years. That's longer than most marriages last, and longer than any competitor's headphones are designed to last. A respectable performance from both you and the headphones. But nothing lasts forever – except maybe Valco's ambition to build that Death Star.
Now let's figure out how to handle this.
What exactly is the situation?
After five years, the headphones have lived their life. All electronics wear, pads crumble, connectors get tired. That's physics, not bad design. Of course, at Valco we build devices to last longer than the industry would prefer – but a lot happens in five years.
Speaking of the warranty: Valco's warranty is 24 months, i.e., two years. Five years exceeds that by a good margin. So a warranty repair is not an option, but don't worry – we won't leave you high and dry.
First figure out what's broken
Before you send anything anywhere, check these:
- Is sound coming only from one earcup? Try with an AUX cable. Plug in a 3.5 mm cable and unplug it – this also works as a reset. If the sound comes back, the fault was in the Bluetooth connection.
- Won't power on? Charge the headphones for at least an hour via USB-C. A red light means charging is in progress. If no light appears, the charging port may be clogged – clean it gently.
- Are the pads deteriorating? After five years, that's normal wear. The pads come off by twisting, and replacements can be ordered separately.
- Do you hear rattling from the cup or feel a loose part? Then something inside is likely detached. It's not worth trying to fix it yourself.
How to proceed
At Valco we don't throw headphones away. We have our own service in Kajaani, and Jasse's team repairs devices daily.
- Send an email to info@valco.fi
in the message: - Tell
- What is wrong (as precisely as possible)
- Order number, if you still have it
- A photo of the device and the fault
Customer support will tell you the next steps – where to send the device and what the repair will cost
Since the warranty has expired, the repair is not free. However, we have a repair package, the price of which is a fraction of the cost of new headphones. The exact price depends on what is broken.
What if the repair isn't worth it?
Sometimes after five years the smartest option is new headphones. That's an honest assessment, not a sales pitch. If the repair price approaches the price of a new device, we'll tell you straight.
And hey – headphones have evolved over the years. The newest models may have improvements you didn't even know you wanted yet.
Five years is a fine stretch. Thank you for taking care of them for so long – and thank you for the money with which we've progressed an estimated 0.000003% closer to the Death Star.
