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Help! How to fix my Apple earphones? (mic version)

post #1 of 10
11/6/10 at 7:57am
Thread Starter 

Hi all

 

I have an Apple in-ear earphone and its right side is not working. Im thinking of fixing it, but I dont know where to start

 

1) How would I know its a jack issue or its the internal cable that is spoilt? Ive tried wigging the jack around but the right side still stays stubbornly mute. (If it was a jack problem, it should at least crackle and play intermittent music right?)

 

2) If its the jack that has issues, how do i resolder it? ( I do know how to solder, but i was wondering if there are any extra wires in it since its a microphone version which i should be aware of)

 

3) If its the wires that are causing this problem, anyone one who has re-cabled earphones of similar type before have any help/tips on how to open the earphone casing?

 

All help is appreciated!

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post #2 of 10
11/11/10 at 6:15pm
Thread Starter 

Help! I could really do with some help here

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post #3 of 10
11/12/10 at 4:28am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by thepredestrian View Post

Hi all

 

I have an Apple in-ear earphone and its right side is not working. Im thinking of fixing it, but I dont know where to start

 

1) How would I know its a jack issue or its the internal cable that is spoilt? Ive tried wigging the jack around but the right side still stays stubbornly mute. (If it was a jack problem, it should at least crackle and play intermittent music right?)

 

2) If its the jack that has issues, how do i resolder it? ( I do know how to solder, but i was wondering if there are any extra wires in it since its a microphone version which i should be aware of)

 

3) If its the wires that are causing this problem, anyone one who has re-cabled earphones of similar type before have any help/tips on how to open the earphone casing?

 

All help is appreciated!


I never tried this again, but i am doing it my self today for my soundmagic pl-30.

First of all, you cant benefit from warranty?

 

1) The most common problem is at the jack. The best way to start is by changing the jack in my opinion and then continue to the the earphone connections. I suggest you to do this first because its also easier and you could actually practice.

 

 

2) There is issue here. I only know that a pair of iems should have 3 wires, left right and one for the grounding. You should cut the wire and see for your self.

 

P.S the wires, when you get the job done should not touch to each other. If the 4 wires are insulated in one universal-black it will be harder to do it than if the wires are insulated in multiple cables. (check the fischer audio DBA-02)

 

Here is a how to guide to help you even more.


Edited by Angelopsaro - 11/12/10 at 4:30am
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post #4 of 10
11/12/10 at 11:21am

Heh just an update.

 

My case worked more than i expected! i managed to achieve the desired sound. To do so, all tree wires must have a tied connection. Unfortunately my solder is broken so i cant finish the work and post final results.

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post #5 of 10
1/2/11 at 10:35pm
Thread Starter 

I managed to cut open the jack, and I see 5 wires: green, red, white, and 2 copper wires. I found out you need to get a special jack, the one with 3 rings at the tip (usually jacks only have 2 rings) The extra third ring is for the mic wire.

 

However, I dont know which wire is R, L, Grnd, and for the mic. Anyone around here has done this before and know which colour wire is for which signal?

 

Thanks so much in advance for any help

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post #6 of 10
1/3/11 at 4:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thepredestrian View Post

 

However, I dont know which wire is R, L, Grnd, and for the mic. Anyone around here has done this before and know which colour wire is for which signal?



If you have a multitester you can test all the wires with the jacks and know what's is connected to what.

 

If you don't have a multitester, you should get one as it is a very useful tool for general DIY/electronics stuff.

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post #7 of 10
1/3/11 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 

Ive gotten myself a multitester, only to realise that i needed to scrape away the insulation from the tiny wires before any real soldering/multitesting could work. The wires are super tiny, and almost impossible to remove the insulation (scraping it away using a penknife proved unsuccessful as the wires were so thin that they got cut away). I guess theres no wire stripper in the world that can strip away wires so thin. Seems like this is a lost cause.

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post #8 of 10
1/3/11 at 11:27pm

Well that sucks... and with wires that thin, no wonder they are so fragile.

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post #9 of 10
1/6/11 at 10:15am

just buy a new one from a website like dealextreme for less than 10 bucks if youre keen on sticking to the apple headset

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post #10 of 10
1/6/11 at 12:36pm

trrs.png

 

As far as I know,

 

Green - Mic

White - Left / Mono

Red - Right

Copper - Ground

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