What Fixing My Headphones Taught Me About Right to Repair
Companies being required to sell parts to consumers doesn't mean it will be a smooth process. Plus: In major surprise, Apple Vision Pro is unrepairable
I’ve had my Sony WH1000XM4 headphones for over three years now. They’ve been nothing short of reliable, letting me listen to 60,000 minutes(!) of music last year, and are high enough quality that I even use them to edit our Fight to Repair podcast episodes.
This line of noise cancelling headphones is a flagship product for Sony—with the XM4’s and XM'5’s having gone viral on TikTok multiple times since it released in 2020. But the wireless headphone line has been sold by Sony for much longer, and with the XM6’s expected to drop soon, I’m starting to wonder why I don’t see anyone rocking the original model from 2016.
Amidst waning clout on TikTok, the XM4’s meteoric rise will be followed by a familiar pattern we see with tech that isn’t mean to last. Owners will have a part break or even degrade, which will lead them to upgrade to a newer model. Whether it’s damage to the ear pads (that don’t actually make the device function) or withering battery life, these parts will not stay brand-new forever. And in response, we are pushed in the direction of sending perfectly functional products, or maybe perfectly repairable products, to the landfill.
Butter Knife > Pentalobe
In my case, after a couple years of using my headphones, I was due for an upgrade to my ear pads. They weren’t even in the worst shape either—but I felt like a replacement would help me keep them for longer. I ended up buying a cheap 3rd party part to replace the ear pads.
Had this happened a few years ago, I like most people, would have let the ear pads degrade even more with the knowledge that replacing them meant that I would replace the entire headset. Like so many people in my generation, I never grew up regularly repairing my electronics, which made the whole repair process seem inaccessible. But after having taken on iPhone and other Apple repairs in the past year, the idea of replacing ear pads seemed easy.
And swapping the parts maybe took me 5-minutes, YouTube video, and a butter knife to complete. A process this easy should be commonplace, but it isn’t.
Replacement parts are not easily found on company websites, if at all, and if you wanted to get original parts directly from the manufacturer (like with these Sony headphones) strap in for some serious detective work.
Upon further examination I was able to figure out that Sony has a network of authorized dealers who are allowed to sell genuine Sony parts. In an early sign that “customer friendly” wasn’t the guiding principle of Sony’s authorized repair ecosystem: the only source of information I found on this authorized repair ecosystem was a list of hundreds of Sony authorized dealers that was organized alphabetically, requiring me to scroll through it in the hope of finding one in my city - all this to buy a $50 part?!
Once I found a local authorized dealer and visited their website to get parts, I was met with a woeful user experience that was a steep drop from the Sony.com or Amazon experience.
Issues With An OEM-Only Model
Consumers lose when they are denied market choice - for example by being forced into only using OEM parts and services. As we all learned in school: highly competitive marketplaces are typically characterized by lower prices, friendlier and more available service and better customer experiences. Uncompetitive or monopolized marketplaces? Just the opposite.
Fortunately for me, the headphone replacement market - ear pads, cords, etc. - is one that offers choice. Had I not bought a cheap 3rd party part, I would have needed to go down the rabbit hole of Sony authorized repair to fix my headphones: paying a premium for a low quality online experience just to obtain manufacturer-made parts.
In theory, right to repair laws like those passed in New York, Minnesota, California, Oregon and Colorado will soon begin having an impact on the marketplace: making it easier to obtain parts and information and giving consumers more choices.
But even with right to repair laws getting passed in a number of states, this doesn’t mean this problem is solved. Just take Apple’s over-the-top self repair program, which forces iPhone owners interested in repairing their devices to plunk down a $1,200 security deposit and pay $50 to rent a $79 pound professional iPhone repair tool kit to - say - replace a broken display, when much less expensive options are available. So, even while “complying” with right to repair laws by providing parts and information to customers, Apple does so in way that complicates, rather than facilitates repairs. Don’t expect them to be the only company that plays this way.
And beyond the issue of accessibility, there is further progress to be made in batting down business practices that hobble repair, maintenance and restoration. Bans on practices like parts pairing- part of the new Colorado and Oregon laws- as well as lawsuits and legal complaints against companies over forcing consumers into using authorized repair services or even bricking devices once a company ends support (RIP Jibo) can also help reshape the marketplace in favor of repair and re-use.
This problem of consumers getting forced to use only company-approved parts and services is nothing new. And the problems of lock-in only get more impactful when we are repairing things more important than headphones.
Other News
VR headsets, gaming consoles, and cameras receive failing grades in new PIRG report
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) evaluated products for compliance with New York’s Right to Repair law. While some devices received good scores, Apple’s Vision Pro augmented reality headset received the lowest rating due to missing repair materials. Other notable devices with failing grades include the Meta Quest 3, the PlayStation 5 Slim, and the Apple Vision Pro.
The report is worth a full read.
EU Right to Repair (R2R) Directive Set To Become Law July 30
On July 10th, the EU’s Right to Repair Directive was published in federation’s Official Journal of the European Union - an act that set the clock ticking. Twenty days later, on July 30th, the R2R Directive will become official EU policy with substantial implications for manufacturers who sell to EU residents, according to an analysis on the site Lexology. Among other things, the R2R Directive will require manufacturers or their authorized representatives in the EU to repair broken or defective goods and provide incentives for consumers to choose repair ahead of the other remedies available for a breach of the legal guarantees offered under the Sale of Goods Directive. As it stands a subset of products are covered including electronic displays, mobile phones and tablets, as well as home appliances. However, companies should “anticipate the scope of this obligation to broaden significantly as new repair requirements are introduced for a broader range of products (e.g., textiles and footwear),” Jamie Humphries and Jack Eastwood of Cooley LLP write on Lexology.
HMD Cancels Its Circular Subscription
Nokiamob.net reports that HMD Global (formerly Nokia Mobile) has discontinued its circular subscription service, which aimed to offer Nokia device buyers a sustainable option by taking back used phones for refurbishment or proper disposal. HMD says the service didn’t catch on enough with customers to make the service worthwhile. So much for circular phone subscriptions from the big phone makers!
Hack All The Things, Get All The Schematics!
Arya Voronova has a great op-ed over at Hackaday (one of our favorite sites) that celebrates the joy and power of device schematics and arguing that companies that have taken a defensive position on schematics - trying to declare them protected IP - might want to rethink those business decisions. “Whichever way you get them (schematics) are a goldmine of information you can use to supercharge your projects, whether you’re hacking on the schematic-ed device itself or not,” Voronova writes. “What’s funny is, not every company wants their schematics to be published, but it’s ultimately helpful for the company in question, anyway.”
“Surprisingly Straightforward” Framework’s Founder On Designing the Revolutionary Repairable Laptop
Voronova calls out companies that are bucking the trend of denying customers and the public schematics and other information about the makeup of electronics, including Framework, the maker of the Framework laptop, as well as laptop maker Clevo, which ships design schematics with their service manuals, old school style, Raspberry Pi and even electronics maker Pine64, which sells proprietary hardware but publish “a ton of the information that you might want” including schematics and replacement parts.
That attitude of openness fosters thriving communities of users and ecosystems of innovative follow-on products which boost the value of the underlying product and fuels interest in both the company and its technology, Voronova writes.
Why Framework’s Right to Repair Focus is Gaining Fans
“E” as in “free”! HP to discontinue e-Series LaserJets over HP+ subscription issues
Tom’s Hardware picked up on a report from DruckerChannel, that HP announced it will discontinue its cheaper e-series LaserJet printers due to customers experiencing problems with the company’s online-only HP+ subscription. The cloud-based subscription requires a permanent Internet connection, and mandates that customers only use HP-original ink and toners, banning the use of third-party alternatives in apparent violation of federal “tying” provisions, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ !
The news affects HP LaserJet printers that have an "e" added to the end of their model name such as the HP LaserJet M110we and M209dwe. HP will stop marketing the Instant Ink toner subscription service later this year and it will no longer be available to new customers. This will not affect existing Instant Ink toner subscribers, however, only those new to the service. In fact, existing customers bound to HP’s onerous toner subscription scheme will not be liberated - they will be locked into it until they replace their printers entirely.
Proponents Push To Get Federal REPAIR Act Across the Line
Rob Hutchins, the owner of Adirondack Express Lube in upstate New York has penned an op-ed urging adoption of the REPAIR Act a federal automotive right to repair law.
“I understand the significant role we play for many hard-working families in our area who rely on their vehicles to get to school and work every day…These days, the biggest hurdle for us — and our customers — comes directly from the automakers,” Hutchins writes.
“The root of the problem is this: Vehicle manufacturers unfairly restrict access to data and parts produced by vehicles, locking out independent repair shops. Forty percent of vehicles today have technology-driven repair restrictions that make consumers delay service, pay more at the dealership, or disable warning lights. Adding to that burden is the fact that government regulations on vehicle maintenance are becoming more stringent and expensive,” he wrote.
“That is why I am a strong advocate for nationwide Right to Repair legislation, which would give car owners increased control over their vehicles and lower prices. The REPAIR Act (H.R. 906) would ensure that independent mechanics have the necessary access to vehicle information, tools and software they need to maintain or repair vehicles.”
The op-ed comes amid increased efforts to get the REPAIR Act through Congress. Last week, 25 groups including the Auto Care Association, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, the Consumer Access to Repair (CAR) Coalition, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) sent a letter to members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, calling on the committee to pass the REPAIR Act at its next committee markup session.
Indian Government Urges Automakers to Join Right To Repair Portal
India’s Department of Consumer Affairs has asked automobile manufacturers to enhance efforts to democratize access to repair manuals and videos. India’s Secretary for the Department Consumer Affairs, NidhiKhare, used a meeting with Automobile Associations and their partner companies to urge them to join the Right to Repair Portal India, which launched in 2022, according to an official statement.