Skip to the bottom two paragraph for instructions on how to replace the battery.
I bought my Bose SoundLink on-ear Bluetooth headphones for 250 Euros around 2017 and I really like them. They are small, light, comfortable and can easily fit in a coat pocket when folded.
Up until now (about 7 years later) I have replaced the ear cushions in 2019 (€25) and 2024 (€18).
Early 2025, battery capacity had deteriorated to a point where it became noticeable. The battery was clearly dying.
Unfortunately these headphones aren't designed for easy battery replacement:
- Bose hasn't published instructions on how to replace the battery, doesn't offer a replacement battery and hasn't documented which battery type/model is used.
- The left 'head phone' has two Torx security screws and most people won't have the appropriate screwdriver for this size
- There is soldering involved
I wanted to try a battery replacement anyway as I hate to throw away a perfectly good, working product just because the battery has worn out. Maybe at some point the headband needs replacing, but with a fresh battery, these headphones can last another 7 years. Let's prevent a bit of e-waste with a little bit of cost and effort.
Most of all, the cost of this battery replacement is much lower than a new pair of headphones as the battery was €18 including taxes and shipping.
Right to repair should include easy battery replacement
Although my repair seemed to have worked out fine, it requires enough effort that most people won't even try. For this reason, I feel that it should be mandatory by law that:
- Batteries in any product must be user-replaceable (no special equipment or soldering required)
- Batteries must be provided by the vendor until 10 years after the last day the product was sold (unless it's a standard format like AA(A) or 18650).
- Batteries must be provided at max 10% of the cost of the original product
- The penalty for non-compliance should be high enough such that it won't be regarded as the cost of doing business
For that matter, all components that may wear down over time should be user-replaceable.
What you need to replace the battery
- Buy the exact battery type:
ahb571935pct-01(350mAh) (notice the three wires!) - A Philips #0 screwdriver / bit
- A Torx T6H security screwdriver / bit (iFixit kits have them)
- A soldering iron
- Solder
- Heat shrink for 'very thin wire'
- Multimeter (optional)
- a bit of tape to 'cap off' bare battery leads
Please note that I found another battery ahb571935pct-03 with similar specifications (capacity and voltage) but I don't know if it will fit.
Putting the headphone ear cushion back on can actually be the hardest part of the process, you need to be firm and this process is documented by Bose.
Battery replacement steps I took
Make sure you don't short the wires on the old or new battery during replacement
The battery is located in the left 'head phone'.
- Use a multimeter to check if your new battery isn't dead (should be 3+ volt)
- Remove the ear cushion from the left 'head phone' very gently as not to tear the rim
- Remove the two philips screws that keep the driver (speaker) in place
- Remove the two Torx screws (you may have to press a bit harder)
- Remove the speaker and be carefull not to snap the wire
- Gently remove the battery from the 'head phone'
- Cut the wires close to the old battery (one by one!) and cover the wires on the battery to prevent a short
- Strip the three wires from the headphones a tiny bit (just a few mm)
- Put a short piece of heat shrink on each of the three wires of the battery
- Solder each wire to the correct wire in the ear cup
- Adjust the location of the heat shrink over the freshly soldered joint.
- Use the soldering iron close to the heat shrink to shrink it (don't touch anything), this can take some time, be patient
- Check that the heat shrink is fixed in place and can't move
- Put the battery into it's specific location in the back of the 'head phone'
- Test the headphones briefly before reassembling the headphones
- Reassemble the 'head phone' (consider leaving out the two Torx screws)
- Dispose of the old battery in a responsible manner
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