How To Fix Skullcandy Headphones [Step by Step]

Nothing good lasts forever, and a pair of Skullcandy headphones is definitely something good. Skullcandy headphones are prone to breaking and damage like many other things. Luckily, some broken things can be fixed. Therefore, you can apply damage control and try to fix your broken Skullcandy headphones. So, let’s see how to fix Skullcandy headphones, and while we’re at it, let’s also learn why they keep breaking and how to increase their lifespan.

First of all, it is useful to learn a little bit about Skullcandy’s headphones and the brand itself. It’ll help you with deciding whether you should buy their products or not.

What is Skullcandy?

Skullcandy is an American electronics company that has been established in Park City, Utah in 2003 by Rick Alden and Cris Williams. Skullcandy is well known for its headphones, earbuds, microphones, Mp3 players, audio backpacks, speakers, hands-free devices, and other similar products.

Skullcandy products target regular customers in general and outdoorsy sorts in particular. Skullcandy’s latest products are popular since they employ noise isolation and noise cancellation technologies. Therefore, they can be used while commuting or practicing outdoor sports.

Skullcandy has won a patent for its LINK system; it’s a portable link with which headphone users can both use their mobile phones and play and listen to audio files. Skullcandy introduced this system to the world at the CES event in Nevada in 2003.

Disagreement and argument over Skullcandy’s quality and craftsmanship are common. Some belief it to be good, some poor, some befitting Skullcandy’s affordable prices.

Now that we have learned a bit about Skullcandy as a brand and a company, let’s move to fix Skullcandy headphones. However, you must be thinking why do headphones break. Even in cases where they look alright and undamaged, they might be broken. What has made them so?

The reasons why headphones keep breaking:

1- Headphones’ cord is left to dangle

This can lead to a wide range of accidents that can damage your headphones. For example, if you are leaving the headset on a shelf and the cord is hanging off the edge, the wire will be bent in a wrong angle. It will be straightened when you use it, and each time you do that the internal wire can get split.

2- Tripping or rolling over the headphone’s cord

If your headphones’ cord is long enough that you roll over it with the casters of your office chair, you may damage the wire. You may even sever the wire from your headphones completely if you trip over them or try to take them off while you’re stepping on them.

Read also: Tozo t10 bluetooth 5.0 wireless earbuds

3- Being in contact with water

Everyone knows that water and most electronic devices don’t mix. However, contact with water still happens if you have, for example, been wearing headphones for a long time which makes sweat get inside them. Also, if you keep fiddling with your headphones or keep adjusting them on your head while you are washing dishes, water may get inside too.

4- Growing too used to them

If you forget that you are wearing headphones and, for example, hear a doorbell ring and get up suddenly to answer the door, you may very well trip or pull the headphone wire strong enough to snap it from the headphones.

5- Knotting the cord

You may fully understand that leaving the long headphones’ cord dangling can shorten your headphones’ lifespan significantly and you want to do something about it, so you commit another mistake: knotting the cord. Knotting the cord may bend it in wrong angles that can damage the inside wire.

6- Not storing them properly when moving around

Putting your headphones in your travel bag, for example, and moving around isn’t much different than putting them in a washing machine and running a cycle. Bumping and shaking will definitely damage your headphones.

7- Disconnecting them by pulling the cord, not the connector

Disconnecting wired headphones by pulling the cord is another way to abuse your headphones. This way you might sever the wire from the plug. Even worse, parts of the plug may remain lodged inside the jack.

8- Blaring audio

I get it, sometimes you just need to shut off the world and you do that by raising the volume until you can’t even hear yourself think. However, even though you achieve your goal, you may damage the internal parts of your headphones, much less your ears.

9- Wearing them when going to bed

It’s not like you’re wearing them specifically to go to bed, but some people have this habit of dozing off to certain sounds or music. So, they wear headphones while sleeping. This means whenever they toss and turn the headphones will get bent in the wrong way and may break.

10- Not investing in high quality headphones

Maybe the best things in life are free, but when it comes to headphones, “you get your money’s worth” is a rule of thumb. Do not expect your headphones to stay in a working condition long if they are cheap and poorly made.

These were the most obvious reasons why headphones keep breaking. However, if your Skullcandy headphones do break, maybe it is not yet over for them. Maybe you can still fix them.

How to Fix Skullcandy Headphones

Fixing broken Skullcandy headphone band

This is for fixing a broken plastic Skullcandy headphone band, not any other part. Get some super glue and the secret ingredient: baking soda.

Put the superglue on the broken sides. Sprinkle some baking soda and, very quickly, put them back together. Wait a few seconds.
The baking soda with the superglue will cement the broken parts together.
Add more superglue on the surface where the crack is. And again, add baking soda.
Voila, the headphones are fixed. Superglue alone couldn’t have been able to attach the broken parts together efficiently, but superglue with a baking soda can.

How to fix Skullcandy headphones’ connector

You know that the connector of your Skullcandy headphones is broken and needs to be replaced if audio switches between the two sides of your headphones. Another telling sign is that you find the sound changing when you turn the connector in the jack or fiddle with it. Here is how to replace Skullcandy headphones’ connector.

You will need these tools: Flush Wire Cutters, Soldering Iron, Digital Multimeter, a 3.5mm connector, Heat Shrink wrap Assortment, and a Heat Gun.
Remove the headset’s connector with the flush wire cutters. Also, remove a little bit (about 1 cm) of the insulation on the wires.
Separate and spread the wires to make your work easier.
The standard colors of the wires are: green for the left speaker, red for the right speaker, purple for the microphone and yellow is the ground terminal.
Get the new connector, and again spread and separate the wires.
On each one of the wires, add shrink wrap.
Connect the ends of the wires together. Pair the colors. Twine them with your fingers so they won’t disconnect.
Solder the twisted parts with the soldering iron.
Check the connectivity of the newly fixed wires by using the multimeter. It will give off a sound telling you that the connection is valid.
Insulate the wires with the shrink wrap and then apply the heat gun. The wrap will shrink with the heat and cover the wires nicely.

How to Fix a Skullcandy’s Mylar driver

You know that the driver of your headphones is broken if the sound streaming from your headphones is messed up. Here’s how to fix the Mylar driver in your Skullcandy headphones. This one is a bit difficult. So, if you don’t have some experience with fixing electronics, make use of your headphones’ warranty.

You need these tools to replace the Mylar driver in the earcups of your Skullcandy headphones: screwdriver, soldering iron, replacement Mylar driver, and opening tools.
Use the opening tools to remove the padding part from the sides of the headphones. Push the ear cup inside when you do that.
Look carefully at the chrome ring you’ll see after removing the padding. You will see the 2mm Phillips screws. Use the screwdriver to remove them.
Look at the speaker carefully. You’ll notice more screws. A bit bigger this time. Remove them.
Remove the driver from the driver assembly with care. Watch out for the wires connected to the other parts of the headphones.
Do you see the circuit panel of the audio jack? There are two mini Phillips screws there. Unscrew them. Then remove the jack from the case of the earcups.
Watch out for the circuit board of the mute button in the right earcup. It may make things a bit challenging.
Small circuit boards are connected together by wiring and are connected to where the problem lies: the Mylar driver. Cut the connecting wires.
Replace the Mylar driver and attach the wires by twisting them.
Solder the wires and trace back the steps until you put the headset together.

How to Fix deflated worn-out Skullcandy earpads

If you have been using Skullcandy headphones for a long time and the only thing that has been damaged in them is the padding, then count yourself really lucky. Earpads are cheap and you’ll be able to replace them easily with this guide.

You are going to need these items: opening tools and ear pads.
Carefully and slowly remove the old worn-out padding by pulling it from around the edges of the plastic part of the sides of the headphones.
Pull the new earpads over and around the plastic ear-cups
With the opening, the tool shoves the edges of the fabric of the earpads inside the grove you pulled the older earpads from.

Conclusion:

We have discussed today how to fix Skullcandy headphones no matter what’s wrong with them. We have also talked about what makes them break in the first place and thus how to avoid that to increase their lifespan. However, if you find that fixing your headphones is too much of a bother, remember that you have a warranty you can use for having them fixed, or better yet, replacing them.