There are two kinds of problems in life: the ones with no solution, and Bluetooth problems. Luckily, the latter usually do have one. The VMK20 is a reliable piece of kit, but sometimes the Bluetooth circuit gets its knickers in a twist – especially if the headphones have been sitting in a handbag or coat pocket for months without use. No worries. This is usually an easy fix.
Why is Bluetooth acting up?
The VMK20's Bluetooth circuit remembers previously paired devices. Sometimes it gets stuck searching for a device that's no longer nearby – or whose Bluetooth address changed after an update. The circuit just freezes up, like a bloke at the kebab shop trying to choose between mustard and ketchup.
Another common reason is that the headphones have been out of action for a long time. The battery may have drained completely, and after powering on, the Bluetooth circuit doesn't properly get going.
Third classic: your phone or computer is already paired with the VMK20, but the device tries to connect to some other Bluetooth device first. Multipoint is a handy feature, but sometimes it shuffles the deck.
How to fix it
1. Reset the Bluetooth circuit (AUX reset)
This is the VMK20's magic button, except it's not a button – it's a cable:
- Grab a 3.5mm AUX cable (the one that came with the headphones)
- Plug it into the 3.5mm jack on the bottom of the headphones
- Unplug the cable
- This cuts the Bluetooth circuit and forces it to start from a clean slate
2. Charge the headphones properly
- Plug in a USB-C charger and let the headphones charge for at least an hour
- If the battery has been completely dead, the headphones might need a moment before they respond to anything
3. Remove the old pairing from your phone
- Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings
- Find VMK20 in the list of paired devices
- Select "Forget device" or "Remove pairing"
- Toggle your phone's Bluetooth off and back on
4. Pair again
- Turn on the VMK20 by pressing the MFB button on the right ear cup (the middle one – aka the mudafukin button)
- The headphones should enter pairing mode automatically when they can't find an old connection
- If they don't, hold the MFB button down for about 5 seconds until you hear the pairing tone
- Look for "VMK20" in your phone's Bluetooth list and connect
5. Check that another device isn't hogging the connection
The VMK20 supports Multipoint, meaning it can be paired with two devices at once. If the headphones connect to your work laptop first, your phone might end up in a queue. Turn off Bluetooth on any devices you're not currently using.
If that doesn't help
If the AUX reset, charging, and re-pairing don't do the trick, it could be a rarer glitch in the Bluetooth circuit. Time to call in the pros.
- Send an email to info@valco.fi
- Include your order number and a photo of the headphones (just so we know which revision we're dealing with)
- Our service team in Kajaani will fix the device – we don't bin headphones at the first sign of trouble
If the warranty is still valid (24 months from purchase), the repair won't cost you a thing. Outside warranty, we offer a repair package that's still cheaper than buying new headphones.
Usually though, this gets sorted with the AUX cable trick. It's a bit like restarting your computer – dead simple, but works surprisingly often. And if you've lost the cable, any 3.5mm cable will do. Doesn't have to be ours.