Bose Headphones Keep Cutting Out: Causes & Fixes

Unstable connection/frequent unexpected disconnection; a common issue with Bluetooth headphones. Although Bose headphones are quite the premium headphones you’d buy if you’re a heavy user, they’re still plagued with this issue.

There’s not a thing more frustrating than having Bose headphone that keeps cutting out. Aside from the obvious issue of not being able to enjoy steady music, it can seriously affect your communication when calls come in.

In this article, we discuss possible causes so you know how to avoid them, and how to fix the issue if it’s something you’re currently battling with your Bose headphone.

Bose Headphones Keep Cutting Out: Possible Causes

There are several reasons why your Bose headphone will keep cutting out or disconnecting. While some of them are quite easily remedied, we can’t say the same for others which may require you to get a device replacement.

• Low Battery

Sometimes, if the battery of your Bose headphone becomes depleted, it can repeatedly cut out, till it stops turning on altogether. This is the easiest problem you may find with the headphones disconnecting – more so, the device will often give you an audio notification while playing, telling you that the battery is low.

• Bad Headphone Connection Cable

If you use the headphone jack connection method, then chances are that you’re cutting-out problem is coming from the cord. The cord may either be twisted or kinked which results in interrupted playing.

• Bluetooth Interference

Sometimes, when something blocks (depending on the material) the medium between the headphone and audio source you can experience a partial cut-out or complete interruption of your sound reception. In this case, you can move back to the audio source and stay within range to have it working properly again.

• Software Bugs or Outdated Firmware

Bose headphones belong in the high-end category of sound devices – it’s got some advanced features like ANC (active noise cancelation), and spatial audio. There have been multiple reports of users experiencing issues with sound delivery. You may want to make sure that the firmware is updated before making any conclusions.

• Incompatible Audio Codec

In some cases, the issue may not be because of your headphone altogether – it could be you’re trying to use the device with an incompatible Bluetooth device. Bose headphones only support AAC and SBC audio codecs, as such, if you’re using a device running on an audio codec with a lower quality, then you won’t be able to play sounds with the headphones efficiently. This is often common to users that are trying to use their headphones on low-end smartphones that they haven’t tried before.

• Partial Connection Between Ear Cup Speakers and Headband

In a situation when you’ve been mishandling your device, for a while, the wire connecting the speakers and headband may become loosened. This will result in partial contact of the headphone speakers making them cut out unexpectedly. Sometimes, your phone may still be connected but you won’t be able to receive sound.

While the first solution you’ll want to try is to take apart the device and fix it, you’ll want to keep in mind that Bose headphones are quite portable, as such, fixing an issue like this may be difficult especially if you don’t have any prior technical experience.

Bose Headphones Keep Cutting Out: How to Fix

Although some of the possible causes outlined are quite easy to fix based on their explanations, there are others that may require a short tutorial to handle – we’ll be handling such in this section of the article.

• Update the Current Firmware

To update the firmware of your Bose Headphone, follow the steps outlined below.

1. Install the Bose Connect app from the Play Store (for Android), or App Store (for iOS) devices
2. Ensure your headphone is connected to the device, and open the app. If connected, you should see the identifiers on the homepage of the Bose Connect app.
3. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner and find the settings menu
4. If your firmware is outdated, you should see a notification at the top. Simply click on it and let the update wizard do its work. While that’s the case, if you’re up to date with the latest firmware, you may want to try this other option.

• Check the Audio Codec of your Smartphone and Switch to AAC or SBC if Necessary

This is often the solution when your headphone isn’t supported by your Android device. You can try this quick fix to see if you can get them to work.

1. Only your mobile phone, navigate through to Settings >> About Phone >>Build Number
2. Tap on the build number multiple times until it asks you to input your password to become a developer.
3. After inputting your password and you’ll receive a notification that you’re now a developer. Next, go back to the settings menu and search for “System”
4. On the System section, locate “Developer options” and tap to open it.
5. Navigate through to the Bluetooth settings, and click on “Bluetooth Audio Codec”
6. If it’s set to default, you’ll want to look for the AAC or SBC option and choose either of them.

While this is the generic procedure for accessing the developer options and on Android devices, finding it on your specifications may be different so you may need to use the search feature in settings to find points like “Build Number”, “System”, and  “Developer Options”