Nothing sucks more than buying several headphones every year because they keep breaking. Unfortunately, this happens to the best of us. 

The good news is that there are methods that you can use to maintain your headphones so that they sound and look as good as new. 

This includes cleaning your headphones regularly and properly, or maybe you want to boost the treble and bass on your headphones. 

You’ll find the following tips extremely valuable at helping you to get more bang for your buck when it comes to your headphones and ensure that you get to enjoy them for many more years to come. 

1. Clean the Headphones

It doesn’t matter if you have circumoral (over the ear) or supra-aural (on-ear) headphones, you shouldn’t have to worry about earwax buildup. Moisture build-up from sweating through regular use or exercise can be rinsed off. 

It’s important to ensure that your headphone has an IP rating that’s between IP5 to IP7. You can find this rating on the manufacturer’s website. 

Some headphone manufacturers also offer extra accessories such as replaceable or removable earpads to help prolong the lifespan of your headphones. This is quite popular with Sennheiser models, for example. 

1. Protect the Cable

The cable is probably the most fragile part of your headphones. That’s why cordless headphones are getting popular. 

To extend the cable’s lifespan, you must loop it around your fingers a few times so that it forms a coil instead of storing it in a bunch or wadding it up. 

Keeping it coiled like this will prevent the formation of breakage points or kinks that might damage it internally. 

This means that your headphones won’t just stop working out of the blue anymore and you’ll find that it’s easier to store the headphones inside the pouch that they come with.

1. Take Advantage of Apps

There are apps that are designed to enable you to change the sound signature of your headphones significantly and quickly. 

But, this doesn’t mean that you should do it. An app isn’t a fix-all panacea for your headphone’s sound woes. For best results, it’s better to use simple EQ apps to solve your earpiece’s sound issues but not right out of the box. 

After a while of owning them, you could tame overtly sibilant high-mids or town down the bass a bit using an EQ app without damaging your headphones.

1. Use Preamps

While EQ apps are designed to change the sound signature of the drivers in your headphones, digital-analog converters or DACs for short, are designed to improve the sound quality comprehensively and not just the frequency response. 

Your mobile phone’s default DAC is known for its ability to convert the digital signal from the phone to your headphone’s internal analog signal, granted your utilizing wired earphones or headphones. 

Most manufacturers don’t prioritize DACs and preamps compared to the processor so it’s best to optimize it yourself if you can.

You have saved responsibly toward your retirement for many years, and now that special time has arrived. No more reporting to work each day, as you will now have time to enjoy doing other things you have put off for so long.

However, is the amount you have saved enough to see you through retirement? Will it cover your travel aspirations? What if an emergency occurs?

Here are things you can do with your retirement savings to make them work for you:

Insurance

In most cases, financial crises can be prevented by having insurance to cover you in an emergency. Premiums might seem an unnecessary expense until you need the coverage they offer. 

For example, car insurance ensures that you can have your car repaired or replaced after an accident, fire, or theft. Life insurance allows you to leave your loved ones the means to cover your outstanding debt when you die and still have a nest egg to invest afterward.

While you might be entitled to Medicare being over 65, there are many copayments, and some parts of the program are not covered. Medigap or Medicare Supplement Plans, as they are also known, help seniors by adding to their Medicare Parts A and B coverage. 

They are sound investments that can save a lot of money in the long-term, according to Russell Noga, owner of Medisupps.com. Long-term care insurance will help if you must have support at home or move into a nursing home.

Real estate

If there is one investment likely to appreciate more than others, it is property. While there are several ways to invest in real estate, seniors are advised to be discerning about who they trust with their money. 

Real estate developers have been known to swindle older folks out of their life’s savings in the blink of an eye with zero remorse. Research the people you will be investing your money with and take professional advice to avoid being caught out this way.

Another option is buying rental properties and using the rent from tenants to pay off the mortgage with a little added income for you. Property owners must be careful about tenants, ensuring that they do not default on payments or damage the house. 

This could get even worse if you have several properties. However, rental agents can make things easier, provided you are prepared to pay them a percentage of each rental payment received.

Stable investments

Bonds offer investment stability that can become a steady source of income. Prudent investors put at least half their retirement savings into products like bonds because of their predictability. They do not offer extremely high returns but work as an investment with a guaranteed, stable income. 

Another stable investment is a reserve savings account, which you hold for emergencies. This is not a money-making investment as the balance will not earn much interest. However, it is a safety net that could become essential during unforeseen circumstances.

Dividend income funds

If you want to invest in the stock market, consider dividend income funds as they are less risky than direct share investment. With a dividend income fund, your capital is invested in a range of companies on your behalf, an ideal way to ensure a net gain. Dividend income funds are the direct equivalent of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

However, like stock market investments, dividend income funds come with a degree of risk. Ensure it is one you can live with by not investing most of your money in this way, as volatile markets could see you losing some hard-earned money.