Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b Problems And Their Solutions

Unwanted noises can be a problem while traveling. The noise cancelation feature helps to filter out these ambient sounds. And that’s why Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b headphones are quite famous to travelers. But it can be quite bothersome when it malfunctions.

Then, what can you do about audio technica ath anc7b problems?

The problems you may face with your Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b are diversified. Such as earpads issues, one-sided hearing, problems with the ANC switch and more. Nevertheless, these problems are not unsolvable. All of them are physical issues and can be solved with some craftsmanship. 

Apart from those, some minor issues can take place too. But no worries! We have discussed all these problems and their solutions in this article. So let’s dig in!

A Short Brief on Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B

Active noise-canceling headphones don’t rely on physical structure to reduce noise. They cancel out the noises by the built-in noise cancelation method.

Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B is also a noise-canceling headphone. The integrated chip filters the outside noise to make an equal but opposite noise. This opposite noise omits the incoming signal coming from outside.

The battery is pretty impressive as I could never run it completely dry. It says the battery life is approximately 40 hours.

However, you may have to compromise a little in sound quality. But the comfort and usability do compensate for that.

You can get this Audio Technica ATH-ANC7B from Amazon for less than 100 bucks.

Source: Amazon.com

Common Problems for the Audio Technica ATH Anc7b 

I personally used this ATH-ANC7B model of Audio Technica. But before tearing into the headphone with criticism I looked for some second opinions. That’s why I’ve talked to a lot of people who’ve used this model or are using it. 

Along with the issues I faced I learned about some more issues with this headphone. Once you’ve used it for a considerable amount of time you may face some issues. You might question the headphones’ build quality and noise-canceling system. 

It’s not like headphones are going to be flawless. Let alone headphones, speakers last less than a lifetime. So, you have to live with these problems and try to solve them. 

Here are some of the problems that you might stumble upon.

• Ear cups issues
• One-Sided earing
• ANC switch problem
• Crackling sound on one side
• Noise reduction and distorted sound issue

These are the basic complications that you could see with your anc7b These are some difficult problems to deal with but not irreparable. Here are a few viable solutions to these problems here. 

Ear Cups Issues

The pads of headphones are the parts that go through the most mechanical stress. As a result, they are at the receiving end of the direct wear and tear.

Sweat and Odor

The thing is, when you put your headphones on, your ears are likely to warm up. The sweat produced from your skin will make the earpads musty. The sweat is absorbed by the foam through the leather cover. 

Usually, sweat is odorless but bacteria use the sweat-soaked area as their breeding ground. This in turn produces a foul smell. That’s the reason behind sweat making your ear cushions smelly.

And that’s why headphones are not preferable while exercising.

This massive amount of moisture intake also makes the cushion weak. This reduces the fluffiness of the cushions, making them unusable.

Solution

Nobody wants to use smelly things. The same thing goes with the headphones too. The best thing to do in this situation is to replace the whole cushions. 

Audio Technica does manufacture extra pairs of ear cups to tackle this problem. For better sound quality it’s recommended to use the original earcups while replacing them. You can easily get these replacement earpads for your ATH-ANC7B from amazon.

Source: Amazon.com

Flattening problem

The pressure created when pressed onto your ear damages the structure of the foam. Foam normally goes back to its original shape after being subjected to force. This happens due to their elastic property. 

Nonetheless, after rigorous use for a long time, it can lose its shape retention ability. The fibers rupture when it is subjected to regular stress. This eventually results in the flattening of the cushions.

The cushions will neither be giving proper grip nor be providing comfort. So they will be rendered unusable.

Solution

The sole solution to this problem is to replace the ear cushions. Changing them is a very easy task. Here’s a thorough guideline on how to replace your headphone’s cushions.

Step 1: Buy a Pair of Replacement Cushions

Buying a new cushion that fits your headphones is the first step. You can grab these replacement cushions from amazon at a great price.

Step 2: Removing the Existing Cushion

Next, gently remove the old cushions that are glued with your earpiece. If gentle tugging isn’t helping use a knife. Push it in between the cushion and the plastic and gradually remove the cushion.

Step 3: Replacing the Old Cushion with a New One

After removing the old cushion, clean the surface properly. Then put the new cushions around the headphones till they are secured in place. Some of the replacement cushions come along with adhesive in the package.

If not, then try out these adhesives. You can use them not only on plastic but also on other materials too.

Peeling or Cracking of Leather Cover

The outer coating of the ear cups is usually made of leather. Generally, the leather is chemically and thermally sensitive. Whether they are high-quality leather or low-quality ones, it does not matter.

Regardless, you might experience cracking or peeling of your precious headphone cushions. The ever-changing humidity, temperature and regular usage will wear them out. The constant contraction and expansion of leather will tear the leather cover.

Another thing is the usage of inappropriate products. Alcohol-based cleaning solutions will ruin the leather cover. Therefore, it’s better not to use them while cleaning the leather cover.

The alcohol will react with the protein-made leather and degrade its structure. So, what can you do?

Solution

Using protective covers is the most effective way to keep your leather cushions usable. So, check out these ear cup covers that are available on amazon. They are disposable or washable and quite easy to use.

Tearing of The Seam

The leather coating should be compactly sealed so that it holds the proper shape. If the seam is ripped open, the structure of the cushion is jeopardized. This is a rare issue to occur in your ear cups, but sometimes this might happen.

It might be the result of poor sewing, excessive force on the cushion. Even this can happen out of the blue as well.

Solution

The solution here is to sew it back together. Firstly, you need to remove the defective earcup from the headphone. Then push back the whole foam inside the leather cover and hold it firmly. Next use some nylon thread to sew the whole thing back.

Let me give you a tip! Instead of sewing the ripped part you should sew the whole earcup. This will not only fix your ear cups but it’ll also prevent further tearing.

One-Sided Hearing

One-sided hearing can be really aggravating. I never experienced it while using these headphones for one and a half years. Nevertheless, I’ve seen people complaining about this problem a lot.

Of course, it takes some months before experiencing this problem. Not listening in one ear absolutely ruins the whole listening experience of a headphone.

There’s a possibility that there might some loose screws and wirings. The power cable inside might be cut off or short-circuited.

Whatever the problem might be, you might be able to fix it from the inside. But these headphones can be a tough nut to crack. So let’s check how can you pry ATH-ANC7B open.

Solution

These headphones have a holding plate and an outer body. And both of these parts are glued together. 

So, before going inside the earpiece you need to separate them first. You might need to put a good amount of force to remove the plate.

Putting a knife between the two parts can make the whole process easier. The plastic cover might crack if it’s subjected to massive force, so be cautious.

After you’ve removed the parts you’ll see three screws holding the piece together. Use a screwdriver to unwound the screws carefully. Then check for potential breakage or tear in the wires or loose connection.

If any wires are not connected, replace the wires with new ones by soldering them. There might be issues with loose connections, you need to solder those wires back as well. 

In order to do that, you need a soldering iron and some spare wires. These won’t cost you much and the soldering process isn’t that complex either. I’ve used some soldering iron to fix some of my electronic circuits. You should check them out too! 

Issues With Intermittent ANC Switch

There are some issues with the active noise cancelation switch in Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b. The connection gets loose or something else can happen to this switch. In my case, I had to toggle the switch very carefully to hear in both ears.

Another annoying thing is, I had to keep my head straight to listen in both ears. Otherwise, the switch’s position would change and I couldn’t hear in one ear. I wasn’t surprised to find out a lot of people have a similar problem. Some headphones even have problems with answering buttons.

So, I tried to fix it. It wasn’t an easy process for me as there was no guideline. However, you are not alone! I’ll be guiding you through the whole process. Hopefully, it’ll work for you as it did for me.

Solution

Follow this step by step guide and fix the ANC switch–

Step 1: Opening The Left Earcup Panel

First, you need to open up the left earcup as we mentioned earlier.

Do not rush anything while doing this. Keep your patience and slowly put pressure on the knife to open up the parts. Be careful while doing this otherwise, you may break the outer shell.

Step 2: Verifying the ANC Switch

Once you’ve successfully opened it, you’ll see a plastic cover that protects the switch. Now remove this protective cover and try toggling the intermittent switch. 

The switch should work fine without the cover. That cover puts extra lateral pressure on the switch. This extra pressure prevents proper contact with the switch and cuts audio in one ear.

Step 3: Cutting Slot and Reassembling

Next, you’ll need to sand the slot to release the lateral pressure. I’ve used sandpaper wrapped onto a small metal piece to deepen the slot. Then used a blade to clear the corners. 

It doesn’t need much sanding so be careful not to dig too deep. Then fit the plastic piece and check the fit properly. If needed repeat the sanding process.

After getting the perfect fit, put the cover back and reassemble the whole piece.

Crackling Sound On One Side

There are considerable problems with the assembly and build quality of these headphones. However, physical problems are pretty common in headphones

This in turn causes crackling sounds on either side of the headphone. Specifically, when you tap the headphone you might be able to hear something moving.

This problem is quite annoying. The reason behind this might be the screws being loose. Even some parts can be displaced when used carelessly. 

Solution

The only solution to this problem is opening the headphone and checking. In my case, the problem was in the screws. They were poorly screwed to their socket. It was really easy to fix this problem.

The tough part was opening the headphones. I’ve already mentioned an effective way to open up these earpieces.

Noise Reduction And Distorted Sound Issue

This problem is quite common and the solution is really basic. 

This can happen if the position of your headphone is not correct. Even a low battery power can cause this menace. Also, do check if your ANC switch is turned on.

If you’ve done all of these, try switching the headphone off and on again. That’ll help the ANC system to sync the noise-canceling frequency with the background noise.

Preventive Tips You Should Try

You can’t totally avoid the problems that may occur with your headphones. However, some of the problems are really minor and can be prevented. Check out these handy tips to make your headphones last longer.

Tip 1: Using Protective Covers

Protective covers will protect your ear cushions from humidity, temperature and rough grazes. This will make your cushion’s leather last longer. 

The bacteria on your skin won’t come into contact with the leather. They are disposable, so you don’t have to worry about hygiene either. 

Tip 2: Replacing Earpads Regularly

Replacing your ear cushions can be a great method to make them last longer. There is no fixed time limit for changing ear cushions. However, it’s better to change it in 3-4 months for once.

Spare earpads are not that costly. But be careful while choosing your replacement earpads. It’s better to use the original ear pads which have been manufactured by Audio Technica.

Tip 3: Avoiding Moisture

Always keep a dry cloth near you while using your headphones. You should wipe the moisture off from time to time to keep the cushions dry. This is a really simple trick but works wonders.

FAQs

Does noise-canceling reduce audio quality?

Yes, they do cause some sound quality distortion. There might be a snarl in the background of your audio. After switching off the ANC feature, you’ll notice the difference in sound quality.

Do noise Canceling headphones emit radiation?

Noise-canceling headphones are completely safe to use and offer no health risks. Because they don’t transmit low-level radiation like cellular devices. You may use your headphones to filter surrounding noises without harming your well‐being.

How do I reset my Audio-Technica headphones?

First, disconnect your headphone’s charging cable. Next, hold down the headphone’s power button for at least 10 seconds. Once the Led indicator starts to blink the headphone is done resetting.

Bottom Line

Hopefully, we could help you out with audio Technica ath anc7b problems. There are some problems with the build quality and wiring. But we hope we could provide you with some handy solutions.

The tips we shared will also extend your headphone’s lifetime. If you have any further queries, do let us know in the comments below.

That’s all from us, happy listening!