VMK20 won't charge
The headphones won't charge and no lights are flashing. You feel like you're trying to wake up a teenager on a Saturday morning – zero response to anything. This is one of the most common issues people contact us about, and luckily the cause is usually something other than a dead headphone.
Why won't the VMK20 charge?
There are a few reasons, listed here in order of likelihood:
- The USB-C cable is faulty. This is the most common cause. USB-C cables don't last forever, even if they look like they might. Cheap cables in particular might carry data but not power – or the other way around. A cable can also look perfectly fine on the outside while half the copper wires inside are snapped.
- The charger isn't providing enough power. The VMK20 isn't fussy, but some old 500 mA chargers might not cut it. On the other hand, some overzealous fast chargers can confuse the charging circuit.
- Lint has built up in the USB-C port. Cables and headphones that live in pockets collect all sorts of rubbish in their ports. One tiny ball of lint at the bottom of the port stops the connector from going in deep enough.
- The headphone is stuck in a state it can't get out of. Electronics do this sometimes. It's not a bug, it's a feature. Nah, it's a bug. But a fixable one.
- The battery or charging circuit is actually broken. This is the rarest option, but it's possible.
How to fix it
Go through these in order. Don't skip straight to step five – the problem usually gets solved much earlier.
- Check the cable. Swap to a different USB-C cable. Not the one that maybe came in the box, but a completely different one. Try your phone's charging cable if you've got one handy. One cable alone doesn't prove anything.
- Check the power source. Try a computer's USB port. It delivers steady, calm power and doesn't try to negotiate any fast charging protocols. If the headphone starts charging from the computer port, the charger was the problem.
- Clean the USB-C port. Grab a toothpick or a thin plastic stick (no metal) and carefully dig out any lint from the bottom of the port. Give it a gentle blow. You'd be surprised how often this fixes everything.
- Do a hard reset. Hold the power button (that's the MFB on the right ear cup – the "mudafukin button") for 10 seconds. Let go. Wait a moment. Plug the cable back in.
- Try an AUX reset. Plug a 3.5mm AUX cable into the headphone and unplug it. This disconnects the Bluetooth circuit and can help if the headphone is stuck in some weird state. Then try charging again.
- Wait. If the battery has been completely drained, the charging light might not come on for a few minutes. Leave the headphone plugged in for ten minutes before you give up.
If nothing helps
If you've gone through everything and nothing happened – no light, no response, nothing – it's most likely a hardware fault. The battery or charging circuit has given up the ghost. It happens sometimes, that's electronics for you.
Drop us an email at info@valco.fi. Include your order number and a photo of the headphone (so we can see the model and condition). Our service team in Kajaani will sort it out. During the warranty period (24 months) the repair won't cost you a thing. Outside warranty, you'll get a repair package at a fair price – cheaper than new headphones in any case.
We fix headphones here, we don't chuck them in the bin. It's a bit like the Death Star – that didn't get finished on the first try either.
