NL25 left earbud not working
So the right earbud is happily playing away, but the left one is quiet as an elevator ride with a stranger. Frustrating, but usually an easy fix. This is almost always a software hiccup, not a hardware fault.
On the NL25, the right earbud is the master unit that connects to your phone over Bluetooth and passes the audio to the left one. If that internal connection between the earbuds breaks, the left one goes silent. It's not broken, just lost.
Why does the left earbud go quiet?
A few typical causes:
- The sync between the earbuds has gotten scrambled. Bluetooth is a great invention, but sometimes it acts like a cat: does whatever it feels like. The left earbud isn't getting a signal from the right one because the pairing data has tied itself in a knot.
- The left earbud hasn't charged. If the contact points in the case are dirty or the earbud isn't sitting properly, the battery can end up empty. 35 mAh isn't much, and an empty battery doesn't play music.
- Your phone remembers the old pairing. Sometimes the phone tries to connect to only the right earbud and forgets the left one entirely.
How to fix it
Try these in order. Most of the time it's sorted by step 1 or 2.
1. Check the contacts and charging
- Put both earbuds in the case
- Check that they're seated properly: a small LED blinks when contact is good
- If the contact points are dirty, wipe them with a dry cotton swab
- Let them charge for at least 30 minutes
2. Factory reset
- Put both earbuds in the case
- Open the case lid (the opening groove is on one side, don't yank at the hinge)
- Hold the button on the case for 5 seconds
- The earbuds will blink: this means the reset worked
- Close the lid, wait a couple of seconds, then open it again
3. Pair with your phone again
- Remove the NL25 completely from your phone's Bluetooth settings. Forget the device.
- Open the case lid: the earbuds will enter pairing mode
- Find "NL25" in your phone's Bluetooth list and connect
- Both earbuds should work now
4. Test the Vincent van Gogh mode
- If the left earbud works on its own (take only the left one out of the case, leave the right one inside), the issue is in the sync between the earbuds. Do the reset again.
- If the left earbud doesn't play sound even on its own, it might be a hardware fault.
If nothing helps
If the reset and re-pairing don't work, send us a message at info@valco.fi. Include your order number and describe what you tried. A photo of the device is helpful too, even though this is technically an invisible problem.
We have our own service team in Kajaani, where Hannes and the team fix these. During the warranty period (24 months) it's handled at no extra cost, of course. Even after the warranty runs out, we still fix them: we don't throw earbuds in the trash here.
Usually, though, this gets solved with that reset. Bluetooth tech is just like that sometimes: works perfectly for months and then suddenly decides to take a day off. Kind of like we'd all like to, once in a while.
