Bluetooth range is one of those things that's easy to get the wrong idea about. Manufacturers slap "10 meters" or "15 meters" on the spec sheet and customers picture the signal cruising through three concrete walls and a fridge like nothing's in the way. It doesn't. Physics is physics, and even our Bluetooth chips don't have supernatural powers, though Jasse has tried.
Official range vs. reality
Valco devices use Bluetooth 5.0 or 5.3 depending on the model. The theoretical range is about 10-15 meters. In practice, that means:
- Same room, clear line of sight: 10-15 meters works fine. You can walk from one end of your living room to the other without dropouts.
- One light partition wall: Usually still fine. A drywall partition isn't a problem.
- Two walls or more: This is where dropouts start. A concrete wall is basically a fortress to Bluetooth.
- Metal and water: These kill the signal effectively. Fridges, radiators, aquariums, all of them act as obstacles.
So if you walk to the kitchen with your headphones on to grab a beer, and there are two concrete walls and a fridge in the way, the signal will probably cut out. Bring your phone with you. That's just how it is.
Why does the connection cut out?
If the range feels unusually short, say, under five meters in the same room, the problem isn't the range itself. Check these:
- Other Bluetooth devices: If your phone is connected to a smartwatch, another pair of headphones, and your car all at once, the Bluetooth chip is working overtime. Disconnect the ones you don't need.
- WiFi interference: Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz WiFi compete for the same frequency band. A router sitting right next to your phone can cause interference.
- Your pocket: Your body dampens the signal more than you'd think. Phone in your back pocket, headphones on your head, and the signal has to travel straight through you. A front pocket works better.
- Outdated firmware: Update your phone's Bluetooth drivers, and on VMK25.2/VMK15 models, also update the headphone firmware using the Valco Updater (Android only).
- Multipoint connection: If your headphones are trying to connect to two devices at once, it can eat into your range and cause dropouts. Try disconnecting the other device.
How to get the best range
- Keep your phone or computer on the same side of your body as your headphones
- Remove Bluetooth pairings you don't use from your phone
- Don't leave your phone inside a metal case or on top of the fridge
- Update the firmware with the Valco Updater if your model is a VMK25.2 or VMK15
- If you're using a computer, make sure its Bluetooth antenna isn't stuck under the desk behind a metal frame
If that doesn't help
If the range is under a couple of meters even with no obstacles, it might be a device fault. In that case:
- Reset the headphones (on over-ear models: plug in the AUX cable, then unplug it)
- Remove the pairing from your phone completely and pair again
- Test with another phone. If the problem persists, the fault is in the headphones
If nothing works, send us a message at info@valco.fi with your order number. Our service team in Kajaani will sort it out. We can't stretch Bluetooth range beyond the laws of physics, but we can make sure your device works the way it's supposed to.
