Your VMK20 is lying on the table like a knocked-out lumberjack and nothing will wake it up. You've tried the charging cable, mashed the power button, and maybe thrown in a few choice words. Take a breath – this is usually an easy fix.
Why won't the VMK20 turn on?
The most common reasons are surprisingly mundane:
- The battery has completely drained – If the headphones have been sitting unused for a while, the battery may have drained to absolute zero. In that case, they need a longer initial charge before they'll agree to power on.
- The charging cable isn't properly connected – The USB-C connector looks like it's in place, but the contact isn't quite there. Especially if there's dust or lint in the port.
- The software has frozen – Rare, but possible. The headphones' internal software may have crashed.
How to fix it
- Charge for a good while – Plug the headphones in and leave them alone for at least 2 hours. Don't try to turn them on in between. If the battery is completely dead, the headphones won't show any signs of life for the first 15 minutes.
- Check the charging cable – Try a different USB-C cable and a different charger. Carefully clean the charging port on the headphones with a toothpick or compressed air.
- Force a restart – Hold the power button down for 10 seconds straight. Let go and wait 5 seconds. Then give it a short press to turn them on.
- Try charging from a computer – Sometimes a cheap charger doesn't deliver enough power. A computer's USB port provides a steady current that's enough to wake up a dead battery.
If nothing works
If the VMK20 still won't wake up after 2 hours of charging and a forced restart, it could be a battery fault or another hardware issue. Get in touch with Valco customer support – let us know when the headphones last worked and what you've already tried. We'll sort it out.
Headphones are a bit like cats: sometimes they just decide not to respond. But unlike with cats, there's actually a solution for this.
