Can I get replacement tips for the NL21 earbuds?
Classic situation. You pull the earbud out a bit too enthusiastically, and the silicone tip either stays in your ear canal, disappears between the sofa cushions, or vanishes into some black hole from which not even light can escape. Or the dog ate it. No worries – there's a fix for this.
Why do the tips go missing?
The NL21 comes with multiple sizes of silicone tips (S, M, L), and they attach to the nozzle by pressing on. The fit is intentionally snug but removable, because different ears need different sizes.
The problem usually happens in one of these ways:
- Pulling them out too fast – if you yank the earbud out with gusto, your ear holds onto the silicone and the bud comes out solo. The tip stays in your ear or flies off into some corner.
- Wrong size in use – if the tip is too loose on the nozzle, it comes off more easily. Try a different size.
- Normal wear and tear – silicone doesn't last forever. After a couple of years, the material can loosen up.
Nothing to be embarrassed about here. This is the most common "fault" with earbuds, and it happens with every manufacturer.
How to get new tips
The NL21 silicone tips are replaceable parts, but we don't sell them. The NL21 has been out of our lineup for years, so the best bet for new tips is hunting them down online: generic silicone tips are sold in every size, and regular earbud tips fit the NL21 too. (For the NL25, on the other hand, we do sell replacement tips separately.) Here's what to do:
- First, check if there are spare tips in the original box. The NL21 comes with multiple sizes. A lot of people don't notice them in the packaging.
- If the spares are already used or lost, look online for generic silicone tips. They're sold in every size (S, M, and L) for a few euros. Just make sure the tip's opening fits the nozzle.
- If you're unsure about the right size or fit, drop us a line at info@valco.fi. We don't sell NL21 tips, but we're happy to help.
If the earbuds are still under warranty and the tip came off way too easily, it might be a material defect. Just tell us what happened and we'll look at it case by case.
What if the earbud itself broke?
If the earbud took a nosedive onto asphalt and wires came loose inside, or it just stopped working, that's a different story from a missing silicone tip. We don't repair earbuds: a broken earbud under warranty gets swapped for a working one, and the broken ones get kept for spare parts instead of being tossed in the trash.
Here's what to do:
- Send a photo of the damage to info@valco.fi
- Include your order number and what happened
- Our service team will take a look and see if it's a warranty case
Under warranty (24 months), a defective earbud gets swapped for a working one free of charge if it's a material or manufacturing defect. If the earbud hit the pavement through no fault but its own, or the warranty has already expired, unfortunately it can't be repaired: our repair service only covers the VMK headband models.
If the tips won't stay in your ears
This is a different problem, but worth mentioning while we're at it. If the NL21s keep falling out of your ears, try a smaller or larger tip first. The right size makes a massive difference. The tip should seal gently in your ear canal – no pressure, no looseness.
The earbuds should stay put without you having to constantly fiddle with them. If no size seems to work, let us know. Ears are like opinions – everyone's got their own, and one size doesn't fit all.
Drop us a message and we'll sort it out. Every headphone pair sold funds another tiny bolt in our Death Star.
