You ordered the NL25s, popped them in your ears, hit play – and the sound is like listening to music through a cardboard tube. No bass, the mids are scratchy, or the whole thing just sounds flat. Frustrating, especially when you were expecting better.
Don't throw in the towel just yet. Nine times out of ten, the reason is surprisingly simple.
The tip makes or breaks everything
With earbuds, sound quality is directly tied to how well the tip seals your ear canal. If the tip is too small, bass escapes like heat from a poorly insulated house. The upper mids get emphasised and everything sounds tinny.
The NL25 comes with several tip sizes – both silicone and memory foam tips. Give this a go:
- Start with one size larger tip than what you're currently using. Most people pick a tip that's too small because it feels more comfortable. Comfort just doesn't equal the best sound.
- Memory foam tips generally seal better than silicone tips. Squeeze the tip down, push it into your ear and let it expand. Wait a few seconds before judging the sound.
- Give the bud a slight twist as you push it into your ear. A little rotation helps the tip settle more snugly into the ear canal.
- Do the seal test: Put the earbuds in and gently press them deeper with your finger. If the bass improves noticeably, the tip is too small or not seated properly.
ANC and sound quality
ANC affects the sound profile. When noise cancelling is on, the earbuds actively process the signal, which slightly changes the frequency response. Try listening to the same track on three different settings:
- ANC on – typically the fullest bass
- Transparency mode – more open, thinner sound
- ANC off – most neutral profile
If the sound is great with ANC on but rubbish without it, that's not a fault – it's just how the different modes process audio. Pick whichever mode sounds best to you.
Also check these
- Protective film on the contacts. If the earbuds are brand new, make sure you've removed the protective film from the charging contacts. It doesn't directly affect sound, but if the buds aren't charging properly, they might be running on low power.
- Bluetooth codec. The NL25 supports aptX and aptX Adaptive on top of SBC and AAC. If your phone supports aptX Adaptive, make sure it's enabled – you can hear the difference.
- Factory reset. Put the buds in the case, open the lid and hold the case button down for five seconds. Sometimes the software just needs a fresh start.
If nothing helps
If you've tried every tip, reset the earbuds and the sound is still clearly off – for example one bud is quieter, distorts, or there's an obvious imbalance – it might be a defect. Drop us a message at info@valco.fi, include your order number and describe the issue. Our service team in Kajaani will sort it out.
But try the larger tips first. Seriously. That's the fix in about 90% of cases. Earbud sound quality is literally down to those few millimetres of ear canal seal – and there's absolutely no shame in getting your first guess wrong.
