The day my 10-year-old headphones broke, and how I fixed them myself
One day, the headphones I had been using for 10 years broke.
Beats Studio Wireless 3.
They have been my companion since I was a student.
They were with me through my commute and while I worked.
Then, they snapped right at the base of the headband.
Honestly, I was a bit shocked.
Even though it's just an object, you grow attached to things after 10 years.
I hesitated about replacing them.
The first thing that crossed my mind was, "Should I buy a new pair?"
But when I looked into it, headphones of similar quality cost a fair amount.
Besides, I've spent 10 years getting used to these, so it felt a shame to let them go.
I also thought about sending them in for official repairs.
But when I checked, official repairs were quite expensive. The cost was about the same as buying a new pair.
Buy new ones or pay for an expensive repair?
Honestly, neither option felt right, so I worried about it for a while.
I learned I could fix them myself
When I looked into it a bit more, an unexpected option appeared.
I realized, "I can fix this myself."
The part that broke was the headband.
Replacement parts for just that section were being sold for a few thousand yen.
Compared to official repairs, it was significantly cheaper.
And apparently, the replacement process wasn't that difficult either.
The moment I found this, I decided immediately to give it a try.
I fixed them that same day
I ordered the repair kit the very day I thought of it.
When it arrived and I actually tried it, it was easier than I had imagined.
I just had to remove the screws, take off the broken headband, and attach the new one.
No special skills were needed; I just followed the instructions and worked through it, and I was able to fix them properly.
Here is the repair kit I used.
https://amzn.to/4otlFAG
When I put on my repaired headphones for the first time in a while, I felt a bit more attached to them than before.
The feeling of having "fixed them myself" made me quite happy.
The option to "repair"
This experience made me realize one thing.
When something breaks, I had assumed that "replacing it" was the only option.
But in reality,
fixing it yourself
replacing just the parts
are options that are surprisingly available.
Moreover, that is often the cheapest way and the one that leaves you with the most attachment.
In an era where we replace everything immediately, I thought that "repairing and using" things is actually quite nice.
If there is anyone else out there struggling because a favorite item has broken, please try looking into whether you can "fix it yourself" before throwing it away.
I plan to share these kinds of daily realizations from now on.
I would be happy if you followed me if you are interested.