The battery used to last forever, and now the headphones die mid song like a teenager mid chore. Common problem, usually an easy fix.
Why does the battery drain?
The usual suspects are these:
- Bluetooth stays on. This is by far the most common cause. If you turn off the headphones but the Bluetooth connection stays active in the background, the headphones keep searching for the paired device like an abandoned puppy looking for its owner. That eats way more battery than you'd think, over a couple of days it can drain completely even if you haven't listened to a single second.
- ANC was left on. The VMK20's ANC doesn't turn off automatically with the power button, you have to turn it off separately with its own button. ANC left on quietly drains the battery without you noticing.
- ANC is on all the time. Noise cancellation eats battery pretty aggressively. If you don't need it, turn it off.
- Extreme temperatures. In freezing cold or heat, the battery behaves like it's hungover on a Monday morning: performance drops and it gets unpredictable.
That sudden shutdown usually happens because the battery's voltage reading gets thrown off by cold temperatures or aging. The headphones think there's charge left, but in reality it's already bottomed out.
How to fix it
- Forget firmware. The VMK20 doesn't get software updates. Instead, reset it: plug the AUX cable in and out. That fixes a good chunk of stuck states.
- Turn the headphones off properly. Hold the power button down until they actually power off. Don't just toss them in the case or on the table and hope for the best.
- Turn off Bluetooth on your phone. If you're not using the headphones, remove them from your phone's Bluetooth list or turn off your phone's Bluetooth entirely. That way the headphones stop trying to connect for no reason.
- Do a full charge cycle. Let the battery drain completely, then charge it fully. This helps recalibrate the battery. Use the original charging cable.
- Try a reset. Plug in the AUX cable and unplug it. This resets the headphones' settings and can help if the software has tied itself in knots.
- Check your ANC setting. If noise cancellation is on all the time, turn it off in situations where you don't need it. Your battery will thank you.
If none of this helps
If the battery still drains in an hour or two on a full charge, you might be looking at an actual battery fault. Electronics batteries have a limited lifespan, after about a year of intensive use, capacity starts to gradually decline. That's just physics.
But don't worry. We repair, we don't throw away. Send us a message at info@valco.fi and tell us:
- Your order number or receipt
- How long the battery lasts on a full charge
- Whether you remembered to turn off ANC
Hannes and the repair team in Kajaani will swap the battery if needed, and your headphones will come back like new. During the warranty period (24 months) this costs you nothing. Even after the warranty, it's handled with a repair package, cheaper than new headphones and considerably cheaper than the therapy you'll need if you end up buying some big brand's disposable plastic pile instead.
The Death Star won't build itself, but your headphones will absolutely get fixed.
