Which headphone brands offer parts and repairs?

The headphones we’ve tested cost from about $50 to nearly $1,500. If you spend big bucks on a set, you’ll want to know you can get a new left or right earbud if you lose one, or new ear cushions when yours have lost their “cush”.

In addition, we’ve got to minimise what we send to landfill by keeping our gadgets going for as long as possible. Headphones shouldn’t have to be dumped due to the lack of availability of simple replacement parts.

We contacted 27 headphone manufacturers and their agents to find out what parts and servicing they offer outside of warranty. We also asked which parts are user-replaceable and which must be replaced by the manufacturer or authorised service agent.

We asked about:

• rechargeable batteries
• a single left or right earbud (true wireless models)
• charging cases (true wireless models)
• ear cushions and earbud tips
• other parts, such as cables and adapters.

And we asked whether the brands have a New Zealand-based service centre.

What headphones parts and servicing are available?

Less than half of the brands we contacted answered our questions. So we searched their websites to see whether it was easy to find a good range of replacement parts plus information on servicing outside of warranty.

Of the 27 brands we enquired about, we can only be confident that:

• 16 have cables and other basic replacement parts available
• 15 offer spare ear cushions and earbud tips
• 12 have replacement charging cases available
• 7 offer replacement of a single left or right earbud
• 1 can replace batteries.

Most of these parts are user-replaceable, but the batteries aren’t. And not all parts are necessarily available in New Zealand.

In addition, most manufacturers don’t offer service outside of warranty. Four of the brands we contacted have New Zealand-based service centres, of which only two make it clear that they offer service outside of warranty (for a fee).

The best headphones brands

Apple stands out as the best overall. It’s the only brand we’re sure can replace your headphone batteries.

Apple can also supply replacement left or right earbuds, charging cases, ear cushions and earbud tips, cables, adapters, and travel cases for their headphones. In addition, Apple offers servicing outside of warranty (for a fee) and has several authorised New Zealand-based service centres.

Samsung also stands out. Samsung doesn’t make batteries available, but you can get replacement left or right earbuds, charging cases, ear cushions and earbud tips, and cables. Samsung also offers servicing outside of warranty (for a fee) and has a service centre in Auckland.

Apple and Samsung, together with Sony, hold the top 13 places for overall score in our latest headphones test. They also rank highest for reliability and satisfaction in our most recent consumer survey.

But neither Sony nor its parts agent answered our questions about what parts and servicing are available outside of warranty. And it isn’t clear from Sony’s website what spare parts it has. That doesn’t mean parts aren’t available, but you’d be wise to check with your local retailer before buying Sony headphones.

What can we do about a lack of parts and servicing?

Some manufacturers explained that they don’t service their headphones or offer battery replacement because it could compromise sound quality. Earbuds’ tiny size and the fact that their parts are usually glued together make them difficult to service without causing damage.

Larger headphones can be easier to service. Yet most manufacturers don’t offer replacement batteries or service outside of warranty for any of their headphones, no matter the size.

Fairphone is one company doing its bit for consumers and the planet. This Dutch electronics manufacturer prioritises using recycled materials. It also designs and builds its products in a way that allows users to maintain them.

Fairphone’s Fairbuds (true wireless earbuds) and Fairbuds XL (headphones) are made with recycled materials and user-replaceable parts, including batteries – nothing is glued in place. Fairphone has a web shop with spare parts and video tutorials. The Fairbuds and Fairbuds XL aren’t available in New Zealand at the time of writing this, but we found a few pairs of the Fairbuds XL on Amazon.

Help us get a mandatory repairability label

Headphone manufacturers need to follow Fairphone’s lead, making products that anyone can easily and inexpensively repair – both for the sake of consumers and the environment.

In New Zealand, we dump about 97,000 tonnes of electrical waste every year. That’s unacceptable and unsustainable, so we’re petitioning the government to make it mandatory for manufacturers to have repairability labels on their products. It’ll encourage them to build products that last and are easy to repair.

Such a label would provide a score based on:

• whether repair documentation is available
• how easy it is to disassemble the product
• availability of spare parts
• price of spare parts
• any other criteria specific to the product type.

Help us get a repairability label: sign the petition.

Choose your headphones wisely

Choose Apple or Samsung headphones for a good range of parts and servicing. Their products also typically perform very well in our tests. Our latest test has a couple of high-scoring models under $250. The top scorers cost around $475 – we think it’s a waste of money to spend more.

If you’ve got your heart set on headphones from another brand, check our test results to see how they perform, including how durable they are. Ask your local retailer what spare parts and servicing they offer. And be mindful that headphones made useless due to a lack of simple replacement parts contribute to the landfill problem.

Of course, third-party suppliers, such as AliExpress and Amazon, might help keep the tunes playing if you can’t find official parts. They might save you some cash, too.

Recycle your old headphones

You can also do your bit by recycling old headphones at an electronic waste recycling centre. It’ll save space in landfills, reduce the amount of toxic waste that leaches into the environment (especially from built-in batteries), and help conserve the earth’s valuable resources.