Try these tricks to help fix muffled headphones

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Muffled headphones? Get them sounding smooth again with our troubleshooting tips.

Uh oh. You’ve got your favorite headphones on. Your tunes are playing, but something’s not right. All of a sudden, that usually crisp audio is anything but.

It’s the day you’ve been dreading—when your ride-or-dies sound like they’re about to die.

Or is it?

We say: hold up a minute. If your headphones are staticky, buzzing, or sound muffled, it’s too soon to say goodbye—until you’ve said hello to our list of headphone maintenance tips.

When’s the last time you cleaned your headphones?

All in-ear headphones are susceptible to a buildup of dust and earwax that can cause low volume on one or both earbuds, or balance issues (e.g., your right earbud is louder than the left).

Thankfully, cleaning your earbuds is often enough to revive your sound. We recommend using a soft, lint-free cloth, cotton swabs (the pointy ones are best), and fresh water. Check out this step-by-step guide to get them squeaky clean.

Have you checked your headphones’ EQ levels?

Adjusting the EQ on your headphones is a great way to tweak—or troubleshoot—how your content sounds. First, check if your headphones support EQ adjustments through the included software or app (e.g., some JBL headphones connect to the JBL Headphones App).

If your headphones have an equalizer, try adjusting your levels—sometimes lowering the bass or reducing the treble can clear up distortion. Just keep in mind that if you adjust the bass too low, or the treble too high, your music or podcast could push the tiny drivers and tweeters inside your headphones past their breaking point. 

Sometimes, muffled or staticky audio happens, even if you haven’t touched the EQ, because of how your content has been mixed. Either way, once you hit that threshold, that’s when you’ll start to hear crackling or muffled audio. 

If your headphones are wired, make sure they’re plugged in all the way.

A good connection is crucial to good sound. If you’re using a wired pair, check your cable. Most JBL headphones have a detachable 3.5mm input-to-output cable, and it’s possible the wire has loosened, tangled, or started to fray. Try swapping in a backup cable to see if that solves the problem.

If you’re connected wirelessly, try unpairing the headphones from your device and then re-pairing. And if your headphones support multiple connection types (Bluetooth, 3.5mm, or USB-C), test each option on different devices and audio sources—this can help you pinpoint whether the issue is the headphones or the connection.

How close are you to your device—and is your firmware up to date?

Wireless headphones can sometimes sound muffled if you’ve strayed too far from your audio source. Try moving closer to your phone, laptop, or tablet to see if the sound clears up. Another quick fix is to check your headphones’ firmware. Updating to the latest can resolve bugs or glitches that affect audio quality.

If all else fails, try a factory reset.

If none of those tips work, a factory reset can sometimes do the trick. It’s the most dramatic option, but it can clear out stubborn software hiccups.

It’s actually simple to do—in the case of our app-compatible headphones, simply download the JBL Headphones app and make sure you’re connected to your device via Bluetooth. Navigate to settings and look for “Factory Reset.” The process will reset all your settings and restore your headphones. And it should only take a few minutes.

(If your headphones aren’t JBL, check your app store for an app from your manufacturer.)

When to call in backup.

You checked your EQ, adjusted your connection, tried different audio sources or devices, tested multiple connection types—and even did a firmware upgrade. If your headphones still sound muffled after all that, your next best move is to pat yourself on the back and reach out to customer service. If you have JBL headphones, our support team can take it from here.

If it turns out you do need a new pair of earbuds, our Fit Checker has you covered. Looking to replace over- or on-ear headphones? We can point you in the right direction there, too. Either way, you’ll end up with new ride-or-dies that make you even happier than the last pair.

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