Troubleshooting your Chromebook Headphones

Chromebooks are the latest innovation flooding the markets but even they can have some headphone problems associated with them. Although the headphone plugin process is the same as all other devices, there are some details that you can check when faced with headphone difficulties. Sometimes the problem is very simple, but at other times you might need to go into a bit of tedious work.

Are your headphones selected?

Maybe your problem can end even before it begins! Perhaps the headphones have been put in the jack but your system has not accepted them yet. On the right bottom corner of the chromebook, you can see the time, profile and other icons. One of them is the system tray. You can assess that to determine whether your headphones are selected or not. If they are not, merely click on the name and they’ll become functional.  At other times, they have been selected but the volume is muted. So you just need to unmute and raise the volume for them to start blaring sound.

Make sure the headphone are firmly plugged in

Make sure that the headphone is plugged in correctly. Many a times, you are worrying about the functionality of the headphones when they just haven’t been inserted in the jack correctly. Chromebooks are known to have slightly different jacks than normal devices so it’s natural that you might not be accustomed to how to insert the plug. Give it a tight push till you hear the sound of it inserting, and then use them. You can also try reinserting them after once removing them.

Alter the chromebook:

Maybe the problem lies with the chromebook. You can restart it to see if the headphones start working. Secondly, other cords and cables can disable the headphones so make sure the chromebook is HDMI free. Thirdly, you can close the lid of the chromebook for a few minutes and then lift it. Sometimes the device has overheated and can’t perform all functions. Giving it a rest can help I perform faster and enable the headphones. If the problem persists and the headphones work on other devices, you might need to reset your chromebook as a whole.

Try a changed set of headphones

If none of the above actions work, you might be facing a case of malfunctioning headphones. Many technical issues can be the reason of this malfunctioning and here it is important that you try to resolve the issue before buying a new set. The foremost act must be identifying the issue at hand:

Identifying the issue:

  1. Plug in the headphones to your device and curve the cable all over the place to see if you can hear any sort of sound through it. If the answer is yes, it means that the cable is out of order.
  2. Put on the headphones and push/alter the plug round the jack. If they start working, it means that the plug has run out of business.
  3. Remove the earpiece from the cable and attempt another earpiece. If it works, then it shows that your earpiece has the error.
  4. If you sense that the problem has gone further than these little catches it is better if you refer these to an expert to be fixed as a substitute of spending useless time and cash.
  5. Assess the charge of repair, and compare to the prices of brand new headphones. If the prices are very near, buying a new set shall be more economical. Nonetheless, if they have a massive difference, you can attempt to repair them on your own.

Fixing the Cable:

  1. Remove the external of the wire to uncover the wrecked part of the wire i.e. approximately 1.25cm. Underneath the tubing will be an insulated wire which is the signal and the bare one that is the ground.
  2. Insert shrinking rubber tubing over the exposed wire; the use of which shall be seen at the end of this section.
  3. Connecting the wires together is the next step, where the color code of the insulated wires is equivalent.
  4. Make sure that the wires are not touching each other because then the headphones will not work properly.
  5. In the consequent step, use a soldering iron to melt solder over the wires you joined and let them dry in the air. As soon as it is cooled, use a decent tape to cover up the wires together.

Fixing a Broken Plug:

  1. Based on the form of plug, you can either screw it off without difficulty or you must cut it off because they have been factory manufactured by glue.
  2. At this instant put the fresh spring over the cable, as well as rubber tubing. Begin the connections; the simple copper wire is attached to the lengthiest metal segment. The other two pins are joined with the two insulated wires inside.
  3. Now by means of your soldering iron, you must put solder on the pins and melt it. Repeat this process for all the wires.
  4. Re-adjust the cap over the pins to make the headphones work.

Fixing the Earpiece:

  1. Take the stuffing off tenderly, ensuring that they are not dislocated and look for the screws that are there to hold the instrument together.
  2. Loosen the pieces. Then inset any minor lever or instrument underneath the cap and give a tiny push uphill so that the cap comes off. This is a gentle procedure that can harm the earpiece if done hastily.
  3. See if any of the wires are not attached correctly. Just put the wires back into their normal places and the headphones will work just fine. If two wires or more are disordered, consult a guidebook before reattachment.

All in all chromebooks are making it big in the markets, and their headphones are just a minor detail that you can either fix by a few tricks up your sleeve. There is no need to add your cash into this matter in huge amounts or to be bothered by repair shops.