Buds in the case, cable plugged in, and nothing happens. No light, no charging, no signs of life. Before you declare them dead, go through this list. Most "dead" NL21s come back to life somewhere between steps 1 and 3.
1. Protective stickers on the contacts
If your buds are new: there are thin protective stickers on the charging points that need to come off before the first charge. Without removing them, the case and the buds will never make electrical contact. This is the most common "fault" we see, and it isn't a fault at all.
2. Dirty charging contacts
There are small metal contact pads on the bottom of the buds and inside the case slots. Pocket dust, earwax and life in general build up on them over time.
- Wipe the contacts with a dry cotton swab or a microfiber cloth
- Make sure the buds click properly into place in the case
3. The case battery is dead
The case has a 540 mAh battery, and if it's completely empty, the buds won't charge even if they're sitting in the case. Plug a USB-C cable into the case and let it charge for at least half an hour (about 2 hours for a full charge). Check the case's charge level by pressing its button.
4. Try a different cable and charger
Cables die quietly and without warning. Try a different USB-C cable and a regular charger, not some monster fast charger.
5. Reset the buds
- Put both buds in the case and connect the charging cable
- Press and hold the touch panel on both buds for 5 seconds
- The blue light will flash once
- Let the buds sit in the case for a moment and try again
If nothing helps
If the buds still won't charge, or only one of them does, send us a message at info@valco.fi and let us know your order number and which bud is acting up. A photo of the contacts helps too. The warranty is 24 months, and a warranty-covered fault gets handled with a replacement unit that actually works.
