I think I may have killed my IEMs when I attempted to clean them

Hello all,

Yesterday I ran into a problem. It may be big, it may be small, I don't really know. However, it is a problem.

The thing is, that my Denon AH-C710s were beginning to have wax buildup on the tips, so I decided to take some cotton swabs and clean those tips. The foolish part is that I did this with the tips actually attached to the IEMs. The Denons are built in such a way that some kind of tight mesh protects the interior components of the IEM from dust and whatever. This mesh is located on the end of a little tube thing on which the tip is inserted.

Anyway, when I finished cleaning the IEMs I have noticed that their sound has become very muffled, and the right one was playing at a very low volume compared to the left one and I'm not really sure why.

It's important to note, that when I was cleaning the IEM, I was careful in a normal, reasonable way but not extremely careful. This leads me to think that maybe I somehow damaged that tight mesh and that altered the sound, or, I'm afraid to say, damaged the driver or resonance chamber. Another, more reasonable option is that maybe the cleaning motion jammed earwax into the mesh, so now it's cluttered and that's why the sound come out all muffled and in a different volume in each IEM.

So, does anyone have any experience with this type of thing? Can anyone help me restore my IEMs to their original state?

That mesh is unfortunately unremovable. Is there a way to dissolve the earwax and see if that is it?

That grill is so tight, I would need a microscopic pin to poke it.

Damn, I really got myself into trouble this time.

Is there anything which can be done with hydrogen peroxide?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5aces 

You make up a solution that is 25% rubbing alcohol, 25% white vinegar and 50% warm water to flush the ear of earwax.

 

The alcohol and vinegar are agents that will kill any bacteria as is the peroxide,which is used more to dislodge earwax due to its chemical properties.

 

Hydrogen peroxide does not dissolve earwax.

 

Wet wax consists of approximately 50% fat,sometimes baby oil,olive oil or food grade mineral oil is used to soften the wax for removal.

 

A bulb syringe could be used to suction out some particles (turkey baster might work) from the fine screen.


 

Thank you for the advice, I will try it if Denon themselves will not have a recommended solution for me.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by flargosa 

it might be a good idea to call the manufacturer, they may be able to give you some guidance.  You may not be the first to do this and they may have a solution or a reasonable fee to fix it themselves.  

That's an ingenious idea! The company should know best how it's earphones are made and may provide a good advice which considers their experience with earphone design.

Thank you everyone , I will update as soon as I have progress, maybe my solution will help others.