iM716 DIY Pod Removal (aka, Podectomy)

[Gino]

How do the ER6i and podectomized IM716 compare? Make it unamped.

[Andrew_WOT]

Originally Posted by Gino

How do the ER6i and podectomized IM716 compare? Make it unamped.

ETYMOTIC ER-4 compared side by side with Altec Lansing iM716

[ericj]

Originally Posted by Gino

How do the ER6i and podectomized IM716 compare? Make it unamped.

Unamped? couldn't tell you for sure because i only listened to them for an hour or so and it was with an amp. The detail level seems to be about the same, and the im716 has more treble, like i already said.

[DanT]

I finish my switching podectomy

I decide to use a dip switch to bypass resistor in parallel so I can select a range of resistor.

There is a local part store that has 1% resistor so I got 47.5 Ohm 20.5 ohms and 31 ohms, those were the one readily available so I can get 47.5 Ohm Or 47.5+20.5=68 ohm 47.5+20.5+31=99 ohm or any other combo with those three number

First I got a dipswitch that look a bit like this but with pass through pin instead



Then solder resistor in parallel to the pins using the switch as bypass.

Here a crude schematic


Here the PCB I use (This image printed at 600dpi is the right scale for the PCB)


I etch my own PCB. It was the first time I done DIY PCB Laser printer transfer, Ferric chloride etching, after several error I finally got it right. Lucky it's a fairly small pcb.

Here what it look finish.
The PCB has the same footprint as the dipswitch the resistor are sandwich between the dipswich and the pcb. The ground wire were only solder together and heatshink. The left and right channel input and output are the two middle hole on top and bottom edge of the pcb.



EDIT: I decide to redo the outside heat shrinking so here some pics of the "inside" Sorry for the crappy soldering job




I'm glad now I can chose between resistor level I want.

Cheers

[Ichinichi]

sony s616 to depodded iM716 unamped = amazing.

fyi for all those saying that you need an amp...

[fatman711]

so if I just remove the pod without adding resistors, will I still hear a difference in SQ?

[Ichinichi]

depod without resistors gives 5ohm impedance. i'll let you guess the difference in SQ (i.e. you need to have resistors in place).

[fatman711]

what resistors do I need? Can someone sell me some?

thanks

[Ichinichi]

Vishay/Dale 47Ohm, 0.25W, 1% tolerance

[Ichinichi]

Originally Posted by Ace o' Spades

You could use Vishay-Dale, Panasonic, as long as they are metal film 1/4 watt with 1% tolerance for best results.

For reference above...