I’ve been a fan of JBL headphones for years. They proved to be very reliable, and I rarely had issues with them. However, recently, my JBL Tune 710BT failed on me. The left earcup suddenly stopped working after only 6 months of use.
After trying all the usual troubleshooting steps (restart, reset, etc.) with no success, I decided to ask the JBL support team for help. They weren’t very supportive, so I went through several forums, watched a few YouTube videos, and finally found a fix that worked for me.
During this research, I realized you can’t find all the potential fixes in one place, so I decided to make a compilation of all the solutions I came across. If one side of your JBL headphones is not working, follow this guide, and hopefully, one of the tips will help you fix your faulty headphones.
Key Takeaways
- If you are using wired JBL headphones, the most common culprits when one side is not working are a faulty cable or a 3.5mm plug. Other potential culprits include misconfigured audio balance settings, damaged/loose wiring inside the earcup, and damaged speaker driver.
- If you’re using wireless JBL headphones, the list of potential reasons includes firmware glitches, misconfigured audio balance settings, damaged wiring and corroded contacts inside the earcups, loose wires, or a damaged/blown speaker driver.
- Always start the troubleshooting process with simple fixes. Restart your headphones, restart the Bluetooth connection, and reset the headphones. Then, check audio settings (primarily audio balance) on your source device.
- If the headphones are under warranty, don’t try to open them. If they’re not under warranty or you don’t mind voiding the warranty, open the headphones and check the wiring inside. JBL headphones are relatively easy to open and service.
- Once you locate a loose wire, you will have to re-solder it.
- If the speaker driver itself is the problem, you could try finding a used one on eBay and replacing the blown speaker driver.
Recommended Reading :
Are Your JBL Headphones Wired or Wireless?
The type of headphones determines your entire troubleshooting process. If you are having problems with wired headphones, two primary suspects are the 3.5mm plug and the cable itself.
When it comes to JBL Bluetooth headphones, you should start with basic troubleshooting steps (restart, reset, update).
Issues that could cause one side of your JBL headphones to stop working in both cases include damaged wiring inside the earcups or headband, damaged speaker driver, misconfigured audio balance settings, or corrosion of internal components and wires induced by sweat/water.
How to Fix JBL Headphones When One Side Is Not Working?
Wired JBL Headphones
Most issues with wired JBL headphones are caused by some kind of physical damage. The damage doesn’t have to be visible. It could be inside the cable or inside the earcup. To fix these issues, you have to open the headphones and replace/repair the faulty part.
However, incorrect audio balance settings on your source device can also prevent one side of your JBL headphones. To fix this issue, you don’t have to open the headphones. So, let’s start with that.
Incorrect Audio Balance Settings on Your Device
iPhones and Android phones allow you to adjust the balance between left and right audio channels through audio balance settings. If these settings were misconfigured or altered, you may get the impression that one side of your JBL headphones is not working, while in reality, you just need to adjust the settings.
So, before we go further, let’s check these settings.
On your iPhone, go to Audio/Visual under Accessibility settings. Scroll down until you see the balance slider, and make sure it’s in the middle. If it’s not, adjust the settings and check your headphones.
Check the audio balance settings on your iPhone. If the slider is on the left/right side and not in the middle, adjust the settings so that the slider is right in the middle.
Android users can access their phone’s balance settings in different ways, depending on the brand and model. Usually, it’s found under Accessibility settings.
Check the Audio Balance settings on your Android device.
If your audio balance settings are fine, you are probably dealing with some kind of physical damage.
Damaged Cable or 3.5mm Plug – Let’s Repair It
Usually, one side of your wired headphones stops working because of cable damage. If the headphone cable is detachable, you can replace it easily. However, if it’s not detachable, you have to repair it somehow.
The most vulnerable part of the cable is the point where it meets the 3.5mm connector. This tiny part of the cable gets bent all the time and, due to frequent bending, the wires inside the cable get damaged. When the left or right channel wire breaks, there will be no sound on one side.
If the audio cuts in and out when you wiggle the cable above the 3.5mm plug, it is a clear sign that the problem is in the cable.
The most vulnerable part of the headphone cable is the cable end – the point where it meets the connector.
The easiest way to fix this issue is to cut off a few inches of the cable above the connector and install a new 3.5mm plug. Installing a brand new cable is another option, but it’s much harder. You have to open the earcup, unsolder old wires, and solder the new ones.
Depending on whether your wired headphones have a microphone or not, you will be looking for a 3.5mm TRRS plug (with a microphone) or a 3.5mm TRS plug (without a microphone). You can find all kinds of 3.5mm plugs, both TRS and TRRS, on Amazon, eBay, and in local audio stores.
TRS connectors are used for headphones without a microphone. TRRS connectors are used for headphones with a microphone.
Once you find the right plug for your headphones, we can start fixing the cable.
STEP 1 – Cut the headphone cable a few inches above the connector.
Now, carefully expose the wires inside the remaining cable by removing the insulation/braiding from a small portion of the cable.
STEP 2 – Before installing the new plug, you have to expose the wires inside the remaining headphone cable. GREEN wire is the LEFT channel, while the RED wire is the RIGHT channel. BLUE and COPPER wires are GROUND wires. The WHITE wire is the MIC wire.
To install the new plug, you have to run the wires from the cable through the holes on the plug and solder them properly. Your 3.5mm plug probably came with instructions or a pictogram explaining where each wire goes.
Example of wiring Instructions for a 3.5mm TRRS Plug
STEP 3 – Connect the wires to the corresponding terminals on the new 3.5mm plug and solder them.
After soldering all the wires, you should check if every wire is properly connected to the right terminal using a multimeter in continuity mode. To do this, you have to open the main earcup (the one where the cable enters the earcup).
Inside the main earcup, you will find the PCB (Printed Circuit Board). All the wires from the headphone cable are soldered onto the PCB. Then, another set of wires goes from the PCB to the speaker drivers.
JBL Quantum 100 internal headphone wiring and PCB. The wires labeled in this picture are those that enter the earcup.
Take your multimeter. Connect the red and black probes to the appropriate terminals. Select the CONTINUITY mode. This mode will tell you if two points in an electrical pathway have a connection without breaks. To simplify, it will tell you if you connected the wires to the right terminals on the new 3.5mm plug.
Put the multimeter in continuity mode. If you don’t see this symbol, set the multimeter to Ohms (Ω).
After setting everything up, you need to touch the terminals inside the earcup with one probe (doesn’t matter which one) and the rings on the new plug with another probe to check for continuity.
For example, you will touch the microphone terminal on the PCB with your red probe and the microphone ring (the ring closest to the end of the connector) on the 3.5mm plug with your black probe.
If there’s continuity between the two spots, the reading on the display will be zero or close to zero. Some multimeters will also beep to confirm the continuity between the two spots. In other words, you connected the wire to the right terminal on the 3.5mm plug. If the display shows 1 or 0L (or if it doesn’t beep), it means you did something wrong.
When you touch a certain terminal on the PCB (let’s say, microphone terminal) and the corresponding ring on your new 3.5mm plug (in this case, the bottom ring), the reading on the display should be zero or close to zero. If the reading is 0L or 1, it means that you connected the wire to the wrong terminal/pin on the 3.5mm plug.
Once you are sure that everything is connected properly, you can finish assembling the plug. The cable will be a few inches shorter , but both sides will work.
JBL Headphones Cable Repair and 3.5mm Plug Replacement (JBL Quantum 100)
Damaged/Loose Internal Wiring
To check the internal wiring, open the earcup where the headphone cable enters the headphones. That’s where the PCB is located.
All the wires from the headphone cable are soldered onto the PCB. Then, another set of wires goes from the PCB to the left and right speaker drivers. If one of the wires for the L/R channels is broken or unsoldered, one side of your headphones will not work. Also, if the wires are not properly soldered onto the speaker driver terminals, one side will not work.
First, perform a visual inspection and check every terminal. Then, use a multimeter to check for continuity along the path.
All wires going to and from the PCB, including the wires connecting the PCB to the speaker terminals, must be properly soldered. Loose wires will cause one side to stop working.
JBL Quantum 100 Headphones One Side Not Working – Diagnosing the Problem
Damaged/Blown Speaker Driver – Replace the Speaker Driver
If the cable and all the wiring inside the earcups are fine, the only option left is a dead speaker driver. If the speaker is blown, there’s no way to fix it – you can only replace it. Since JBL doesn’t sell spare speaker drivers for its headphones, you can only look for used ones.
JBL Bluetooth Headphones
Cable issues are not a problem with JBL Bluetooth headphones, but other things could cause one side to stop working. I’ll start with simple fixes that didn’t work for me but could solve the issue for other users.
Restart Your Headphones
This is the first step in troubleshooting any Bluetooth headphone issue. Turn the headphones off, then back on. If it doesn’t work, let’s try another fix.
Restart Bluetooth Connection
This is not the same thing as restarting the headphones. First, turn off your headphones. Then, forget the headphones from the list of paired devices on your phone.
Forget/Delete pairing information about the headphones from your phone.
Now, turn on the headphones. If they don’t go to pairing mode immediately, put them in pairing mode manually.
The LED should be blinking blue in pairing mode.
Then, pair them with your phone and see if they work as intended. If not, we will have to reset the headphones.
Reset Your JBL Headphones
Resetting the headphones will erase all pairing information, as well as all custom-made settings, but it will also eliminate some firmware bugs and glitches that might be causing the issue.
Different JBL headphone models follow different reset procedures, so you should check your user manual for the instructions for your headphones. Below, you can find instructions that work for most JBL Bluetooth headphones (Live and Tune series).
To reset your JBL Live headphones (and some JBL Tune models), press and hold the VOL UP and VOL DOWN buttons for 5-15 seconds (depending on the model). Hold the buttons until the headphones power off.
To reset JBL Live headphones, press and hold the PLUS (+) and MINUS (-) buttons until the headphones turn off.
After the headphones power off, they will restart and should go to pairing mode. They won’t connect to your device automatically since all pairing information was erased.
Resetting JBL Live 650 BTNC Headphones
Most JBL Tune headphones follow a different reset procedure. You have to turn them on and press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds. The headphones will turn off. Now, press and hold the power button again for 10 seconds.
Resetting JBL Tune 500BT/510BT
Update Your JBL Headphones
JBL headphones can be updated through the JBL Headphones app. When you connect the headphones to the app, the app will automatically tell you when there are new updates available. You will see an orange circle with a down-pointing arrow in the upper-right corner of the image of your headphones.
When you tap this icon, the update screen will appear.
On the Software Update screen, tap Install and wait for the update to download and install. After the update, the headphones should restart, and the app will go back to the home screen.
Tap Install and follow the on-screen instructions.
Updating JBL Live Headphones – Step-by-Step Guide
Adjust Audio Balance
As I explained earlier, misconfigured audio balance settings on your source device (phone, PC) will make you think that one side of your JBL headphones is not working. You just need to readjust the settings to make it work again. So, use the instructions given in one of the previous sections of this article to check the audio balance settings.
Check the Wiring Inside the Earcups and Headband
We have finally reached the point where we have no other option but to open the headphones and check the wiring inside. The good news is – most JBL Bluetooth headphones are fairly easy to open.
The two most common wiring-related issues causing one side of JBL headphones to stop working are improper connection between the springs on the speaker driver and tabs on the PCB (due to corrosion or loose PCB) and disconnected/damaged wires.
First, let’s open the headphones.
Remove the earpads, then remove three screws holding the earcup together. Don’t pull the cover – you don’t want to damage the wire connecting the PCB to the speaker driver.
When you move the cover to the side, you will see the PCB and the inner side of this plastic cover where the speaker driver is located. First, let’s check the springs on the back of the plastic cover and two golden tabs on the PCB. If there’s no proper contact between them, that side of your headphones will not work. Check them for corrosion and extend the springs a little bit. If they are corroded or dirty, try cleaning them.
Check the springs and golden tabs inside the earcup. Clean them if they are dirty or corroded.
Furthermore, if the PCB is not firmly attached to the earcup and it moves, the contact between these springs and tabs on the PCB will not be firm. One side of the headphones will cut in and out as the PCB moves. In this case, you may have to glue the PCB to the plastic to prevent it from moving.
JBL Headphones – Fixing Loose PCB
Finally, if the spring contacts and tabs are fine and the PCB is not loose, let’s check the wires.
Check all the connections – solder loose wires.
JBL Bluetooth Headphones One Side Not Working – Checking the Internal Wiring
Damaged Internal Components
If nothing else helps and the wiring seems fine, you are probably dealing with internal component failure. Your PCB or your speaker driver might be damaged or blown. The only thing you can do is look for used parts on eBay and replace the damaged component.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Question: Why is only one side of my JBL headphones working?
- Answer: If the headphones are wired, the first suspect should be the cable, particularly the tiny part of the cable closest to the 3.5mm connector. Other suspects include misconfigured audio balance settings, loose internal wiring, or a damaged internal component (PCB or speaker driver).
- One side of your wireless/Bluetooth JBL headphones may stop working due to firmware glitches, loose internal connections and wiring, corroded/dirty contacts, misconfigured audio balance settings, or damaged internal components.
- Question: Can you fix JBL Bluetooth headphones when only one side works?
- Answer: If the headphones are wired, replacing the cable or the 3.5mm plug usually fixes the issue. If the internal wiring is loose, soldering the loose wires will fix the headphones. When dealing with damaged/dead internal components, your only option is to replace these components.
- To fix JBL Bluetooth headphones when one side is not working, start by restarting the headphones, restarting the connection, and resetting/updating the headphones. You should also check the audio balance settings. If basic troubleshooting steps don’t help, open the faulty earcup and check the wiring inside. Re-solder any loose wires and clean dirty/corroded contacts.
- Question: How do I reset my JBL headphones?
- Answer: It depends on the model. Most JBL Live and some JBL Tune models will be reset when you press and hold the PLUS and MINUS buttons until the headphones turn off.
- To reset some JBL Tune headphones, press and hold the POWER button for about 10 seconds (until the headphones turn off). Then, press the POWER button again for 10 seconds.
- Question: Can JBL headphones be repaired?
- Answer: Yes, most JBL headphone issues can be repaired. If the warranty is valid, you can bring or send the headphones to the nearest service center, and they will fix them for you. I’m not sure about the cost of repair. Since the headphones are under warranty, you shouldn’t pay anything unless the damage was caused by your actions.
- Even headphones that are out of warranty can be sent to the service center, but you have to pay for diagnosis and repair.
- The good news is that you can fix some headphone issues on your own without contacting the JBL support or sending the headphones to the service center.
- Question: Do JBL headphones have a reset button?
- Answer: No, there’s no dedicated reset button on JBL headphones. To reset JBL headphones, you have to press some button combo or press and hold the power button.
Conclusion
Technically speaking, you can still use your headphones when one side is not working. You can even use your source device to downmix any 2-channel audio into one-channel audio and receive the entire track through one side. However, the listening experience when using only one headphone is simply underwhelming, and quickly becomes annoying.
I hope this guide helped you figure out why one side of your JBL headphones is not working and find a way to fix the issue.
