There’s nothing in heaven or on earth more annoying and disturbing than one earbud to be louder than the other. No worries, everything’s all right (hopefully) and with some tips and tricks, this issue has come to an end, your left ear won’t be the only ear to enjoy the music.
It’s really interesting how headphones can work perfectly fine a couple of minutes ago and now they have stopped working. Everything happens out of nowhere and it’s hard to know what the heck is going on inside these electronic devices. It would be better if just two of them lose the volume level at the same time because it’s nearly impossible to notice, but when one earbud happens, it would be harder to avoid.
There are many reasons why one earbud is louder than the other, let’s go through them to find out the cause.
Why is One Earbud Louder Than the Other
The Earbud may Have Collected Dust
Of course, we don’t have so much time to spend cleaning the earbuds, but you can at least clean them once a day, so you won’t allow the dust collection to get in all over the earbuds. The problem will appear over time, not only the earbuds can lose the sound quality, but also can cause permanent damage. For that reason, it would be better at least to clean it in two days.
Ear wax
In normal human biology, it’s ok to have ear wax. That is how our body creates that yellow substance to protect and moisturize the skin of the ear canal, and prevent dryness or itchiness. It is known as a protective shield against outdoor dirt and the eardrum. If you clean your ears regularly, there shouldn’t be a problem.
For more medical information, check to see if headphones cause earwax?
External Damage
Every time you drop the earbuds suddenly or even step on them unintentionally, something in the internal coils gets damaged. This isn’t very noticeable, but as the time passes, don’t get confused about why out of nowhere the earbuds have stopped working.
Dropping the Earbud on Water
Sometimes, you see the weatherproof written in the advertisement and think oh, it’s ok if I drop them, it will be fine. No, it won’t because you must know that water-resistant and waterproof aren’t on the same page. Weatherproofing maybe can handle some water splash and water resistance means that it can withstand bad weather conditions.
Yes, many manufacturers say that it’s waterproof and rate the IPX4 to IPX7 or IP67, but don’t believe them wholeheartedly because the brands at times do it for commercial purposes. Try to avoid cheap products, and go for more reliable or experienced brands. Believe me, they know what they are doing.
How to Fix the Earbud that Is Louder Than The Other
Balance the Sound Volume in the Settings
The most unchallenging way to fix the problem is to go on the audio icon settings/headphone settings and bring the louder earbud’s volume down a bit to make a match with the less silent one. Yeah just make sure you find an audio balance between them. Imbalance is something common across all wireless audio listening devices.
If your earbuds don’t have a dedicated app that you can fix, throw them away. Just kidding, get your computer (Windows or Mac) and go to the control panel. There is a slider form to adjust the volume level for each earbud. Move the slider back and forth to find the perfect sound balance between them.
Check the Earbud to see if there is Water, Dirt, or Dust Collection
The biggest enemy of the earbuds is water, dust, and dirt. Sure thing that earbuds get dirty each and every day. Please don’t wait to open a dirt and dust museum inside the earbuds, especially with in-ear models.
Get a damp cloth, or buy specifically sold wet wipes to clean. If your earbuds are in-ear and have silicones, feel free to take them off and clean them properly.
In case you have dropped the earbud in the water, shake off the earbud. If you have Airpods, there is the sound to take them off. When I said above go for reliable brands, this is what I mean. Down below is the sound to remove water from Airpods, but you can try it with other earbuds too. Can’t guarantee the results though.
Check if Both Earbuds Fit Perfectly
Sometimes, the earbuds won’t have the same fit. maybe because of the silicones (in-ear) or one is way loser from the other. Try to change the silicone and see whether you will have a positive outcome. If you have headphones, try to change the ear cushions.
Try the Earbuds on Other Smart Devices
Sometimes, the earbuds show different results on different devices. it’s rare, but it can happen. Try to use another smartphone tablet, or computer to see if the problem is really in the earbud. If still, one side comes louder, it is most likely the manufacturer’s fault. Find the closest repair shop and go see what’s the matter with them.
Connectivity Problems
If you keep constantly suffering from your earbud’s connectivity with Bluetooth, it is again either the manufacturer’s fault or your smartphone or earbuds don’t support the updated Bluetooth version. Alternatively, you can have many devices connected at the same time such as your smartwatch, speaker, or tripod. The connectivity issue arises and can cause one earbud to be quiet.
To prevent that from happening, disconnect the devices and try to connect just 2 smart devices at once, no more than that, maybe the volume will come back as it used to.
Headphone Jack
Another factor that causes the audio to lose its left-to-right balance is the audio jack or headphone jack.
Regardless of whether you are using a PC, laptop, or phone, dust can accumulate inside the headphone jack because it is a physical point of ingress.
Pet hair is another item that can enter and clog up things. Check to see if there is any improvement by cleaning the headphone jack’s interior.
Replace them with new up-to-date Earbuds
Maybe the replacement time has come my friends, I have some of the best earbuds for different purposes so that you won’t ever occur this issue again. Check out JLab earbuds, and metal music earbuds. I have some budget prices for my bougie broke audience Yamaha Headphones. I’m sure Yamaha will be your next best friend after throwing away one quiet earbud.
A Brief Summary
It’s really hard to know the reason behind one earbud being quieter but the possibilities are: not cleaning them regularly, not cleaning the earwax, and damaging earbuds externally.
I think the best and unchallenging solution is to go on the settings and adjust the volume level of the louder earbuds, so both can sound the same. But you do you. Hopefully, the information I gave was helpful.
See you in the next article, stay safe.
Further Reading
You can find some recommended additional reading here. You may check out the post to see some excellent headphones that don’t leak sound.
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Composer & Audio Engineer
I’m a composer and audio engineer crafting sonic magic. Combining my skills in rhythm, harmony, and sound synthesis to create the ultimate auditory experience.
