Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2: if one headphone is not working

The situation when one Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2 stops playing sound or does not turn on at all, is familiar to many owners of budget but popular acoustics. Often users panic ahead of time, assuming that the device has failed and requires expensive maintenance. However, in the vast majority of cases, the problem lies in a software failure of synchronization or banal contamination of charging contacts.

Before you look for a warranty card, you need to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis that will take no more than fifteen minutes. Disconnection between the headphone and the charger case is the number one reason why the device does not receive power and therefore does not turn on. The second most common factor is the desynchronization of the left and right channels, when the headset “forgets” that it should work in pairs.

In this detailed guide, we will break down all possible causes of malfunction and provide a step-by-step algorithm for actions. You will learn how to properly perform a hard reset, clean contacts without harming electronics and determine whether your gadget really needs a battery replacement or a speaker.

Primary diagnostics and verification of charging contacts

The most common reason one Xiaomi earphone is silent is because it is simply discharged.This is due to oxidation or contamination of metal pins (pins) on the earbud itself or inside the charging case.Even a microscopic layer of earwax or dust can transmit current, leaving the device without power.

Carefully examine the bottom of a broken earpiece. You should see two small golden or silver contacts. If they look dull, black or coated, they should be cleaned carefully. This procedure is ideal for a cotton swab lightly soaked in isopropyl alcohol or a special electronics cleaner. Do not use water or aggressive solvents, as they can damage the internal circuitry.

After cleaning the contacts, put the headphones in your case and check the indicators. If the LEDs catch on, then the current is running. Leave the device to charge for at least 30-40 minutes, even if the indicator is dim. Sometimes a deeply discharged lithium-ion battery takes time to "rock" before showing the actual level of charge.

⚠️ Warning: Never try to smack the contacts inside the case with sharp metal objects such as needles or pins.You may accidentally close the contacts at the bottom of the case, which will short-circuit and break the entire charging base.

It's also worth checking if the magnets fit tightly, and if the magnet in one of the compartments of the case weakens or shifts, the earphone may not reach the contact areas, so you can gently put a micro-piece of paper or a foam under the headphone to provide a tighter press, but that's a temporary solution.

Complete Reset (Hard Reset) procedure

If cleaning the contacts didn't help and both earbuds are charged, but the sound is coming from only one, the Bluetooth module's software probably crashed. The headphones could be out of sync with each other, and the phone now sees them as two separate devices or connected to only one channel, and the solution is to force the reset to factory settings.

To start, remove the device from the pairing list on your smartphone. Go to Bluetooth settings, find Mi True Wireless EBs Basic II, and select the option "Forget device" or "Unpair pairing." This is a critical step that is often ignored, leading to a repeat error when you try again to connect.

Now, put both earbuds in the charger case. Make sure they're flat and the lights are on. Find the function button on the outside of the case (usually round and small). You need to press it and hold it for 15-20 seconds. The indicators on the headphones or on the case should start flashing red and white colorfully. This is a signal that the reset process is underway.

Once the lights stop flashing or go out, remove the headphones from the case. They should automatically go into pairing mode (usually the indicators flash slowly white). Again search the devices on the phone and connect. Now both channels should work synchronously.

Problems of synchronization of the left and right channel

Sometimes even after a reset, one earpiece is silent, which may indicate that the master channel (usually the right one) is not transmitting a signal to the channel (left one). In TWS (True Wireless Stereo), one earpiece is always the master earpiece, and the other earpiece receives a signal from the earpiece, and if the communication between them is broken, you will hear the sound in only one ear.

Try to force the switch to the master mode. To do this, put both headphones in the case, close the lid, wait 5 seconds and open again. Take out the left earphone first, wait for it to blink, and then take out the right one. This sequence of actions can cause devices to shake hands again and prioritize the connection.

It's also worth checking the sound balance settings on the smartphone itself. In the "Special Features" or "Sound" section on Android and iOS, there's a left-right channel balance slider. If it's shifted completely to one side, the second earbud will be silent, even if it's technically sound.

In rare cases, the problem lies in the Bluetooth codec. Try changing the codec settings (for example, from AAC to SBC or vice versa) or disabling the option "Absolute Volume", which can remove the software conflict blocking one of the channels.

Diagnostics of hardware faults dynamics

When software methods are exhausted, you have to talk about hardware. If one Xiaomi earphone emits a quiet, hoarse sound or complete silence only at a certain volume, perhaps the speaker membrane is damaged or contaminated. Earwax is the main enemy of acoustics; it can clog the speaker grid, creating a vacuum or a mechanical obstacle to the movement of the membrane.

Carefully remove the silicone embushure and inspect the speaker's metal mesh. If you see a dense plaque, try cleaning it with a soft toothbrush or a special Velcro for cleaning your gadgets. The movements should be sweeping, from center to edges, so as not to push the dirt deeper.

Another hardware problem is the plume's going away or the contact's going off inside the body, and if the device was falling from a height or vibrating, the internal connector could move away, and sometimes it helps to just press the headphone body at a certain point, but this is a temporary measure that requires disassembly.

If you notice that when you tap on the earpiece, the sound appears or changes, this is a sure sign of poor contact inside. It is not recommended to use such a device for a long time, since the vibration can finally destroy the connection.

The influence of firmware version and sound source

Don't discount the smartphone software that has Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2 connected to. Older versions of Android or iOS may have bugs in the Bluetooth stack that mishandle the connection to certain versions of the headphone firmware. Check for system updates on your phone.

There's also a nuance about codecs: If you're listening to high-resolution music (LDAC, aptX HD) and one of the headphone channels has an unstable connection, the protocol can reset the data to that channel to keep the overall flow. Try playing audio from another source (for example, not Spotify, but a local file or YouTube) to eliminate the error of a particular application.

Also, check if your headphones are connected to another device nearby.Priority for connectivity can be given to a tablet or laptop that only broadcasts audio in mono mode or on a single channel.Switch off Bluetooth on all gadgets except the main one.

When professional repairs are needed

If neither cleaning, reset, nor soldering (for power users) helped, most likely, the battery or the speaker itself failed. Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2 model uses compact batteries, the life of which is limited to the number of charging cycles. If the earbud is more than 2-3 years old and it was actively used, the battery could simply “die” and stop holding the charge.

Replacing the battery in these models is a time-consuming process that requires heating the case, neatly opening and soldering microscopic contacts, which is extremely difficult to do on its own without special equipment and skills, and the cost of such repairs in the service often approaches the cost of a new device, making it economically inefficient.

💡

If the warranty is still valid, do not open the headphone case yourself. The presence of autopsy marks (scratches on seals, broken latches) is 100% grounds for denial of warranty service.

However, if the dynamics are a problem (the coil is burned), it is sometimes easier to find a donor in the radio market or AliExpress and solder the speaker if you have experience with a soldering iron.

⚠️ Warning: Attempting to charge a device that has short circuited (for example, after moisture is ingested) can cause the lithium battery to catch fire.If the earphone is heated in the case by more than 40 degrees, immediately remove it and dispose of it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)