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Custom IEM (cable) for iPhone w/mic & volume control

post #1 of 19
12/14/11 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 

Hi,

 

So I've been trying to figure this problem out for days now and with no solution in sight, I figure I'll try and ask the community here and see if you guys can offer any good solutions.

 

As much as I love the idea of listening to amazing music with amazing clarity, I can't carry too many gadgets with me during my day to day activities. Therefore I am limited to an Apple iPhone 4 & an earphone. I use the earphones to listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks & make & receive calls while on the go. In a given day, I spend about 2 - 2 & 1/2 hours plugged into my iPhone via the earphones.


I *need* the mic for the phone calls. I recently got the TripleFi 10, and hated having to hold the up to my face for the mic to pickup my voice. (Yeah I could remove the headphones and talk normally but the stock cable has so much memory effect & so many kinks, that once it's in, I keep them in until I need to take them off.) To fix this issue, I ordered the 10vi cable from Logitech, which arrived today and it fixed my problem, much better wire, no crazy memorized kinks, and easier to adjust while on.

 

I use the mic to control the music, click to play/pause music, double click to skip a song, triple click to rewind, press & hold for voice control. (If you have the 4S, then that'll work for Siri too).

 

I love the volume control buttons on the stock iPhone headset & my Etymotic HF3 w/ custom ACS Tips. It's great for raising and lowering volume for music, books, podcasts, and even calls. Too bad the 10vi cable doesn't have that feature.

 

I live in NYC, and hate flashing my iPhone on the subway, especially late at night, so having the ability to control the music via the mic remote is priceless.

 

So my dilemma is as follows: I want to remold the TF10s into custom IEMs. But I need a cable with mic & volume control for all the ease of use it provides. Sadly as far as I can tell, there's no reasonably priced cable to fit the criteria.

 

Can Fischer/Kozee/etc figure out a way to make either Sennheiser's IE8i or Shure's cbl-m+-k  to plug into the reshelled TF10? Or do you have any other suggestions? Worst case I'll ask them to leave the stock TF10 ports in, so I can use the 10vi cable. Not ideal but better than nothing.

 

tl/dr Need an iPhone compatible cable with mic & volume control to work a remolded TF10. Suggestions?


Edited by riffola - 12/14/11 at 8:24pm
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post #2 of 19
12/14/11 at 8:43pm

Have a look at the Beats Audio iPhone cable :-

http://www.custom-iem.com/iphone-specialist-mic-remote-%E2%80%93-beat-audio-earphone-cable-p-656.html

 

This is by no means cheap but with the crappy TF10 cables (mine was 2 mths old when they broke and Logitech/UE wouldn't replace the cables under warranty), I think these are worthy upgrades, not just from a durability perspective but fidelity too.

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post #3 of 19
12/14/11 at 8:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnakChan View Post

Have a look at the Beats Audio iPhone cable :-

http://www.custom-iem.com/iphone-specialist-mic-remote-%E2%80%93-beat-audio-earphone-cable-p-656.html

 

This is by no means cheap but with the crappy TF10 cables (mine was 2 mths old when they broke and Logitech/UE wouldn't replace the cables under warranty), I think these are worthy upgrades, not just from a durability perspective but fidelity too.


That cable costs more than what I will spend on a custom IEM. (TF10 + Remolding + Impressions). It's sad that the only decent solution is insanely expensive. :(

 

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post #4 of 19
12/14/11 at 9:52pm

Review thread from average_joe of IEM/TF10 cables in the equipment forums. IIRC elsewhere he commented favorably on the Chris Himself and Null Audio cables.

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post #5 of 19
12/15/11 at 12:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by macaddicted View Post

Review thread from average_joe of IEM/TF10 cables in the equipment forums. IIRC elsewhere he commented favorably on the Chris Himself and Null Audio cables.



But Null Audio cables don't come with mics do they? I think that's what the OP was looking for. I have had (and sold) the Null Audio Lune cables and whilst they do sound really good, and they are more durable than the stock TF10 cables, they don't have a mic option.

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post #6 of 19
12/15/11 at 2:11am

I'm having my TF10's reshelled as well, and I'd be interested in a reasonably priced solution. I have a feeling that any inevitable solution would cost more than I'm paying for the entire TF10 reshell though, including the TF10's themselves.

 

For starters I can just hold the phone up to my head and talk when necessary. I'll definitely be buying an iPhone control adapter though, so that I can change songs and volume without having to fiddle with the device itself. It's a shame that no major manufacturer has been able to get an iPhone mic/control adapter right (there are solutions out there from Griffin, Monster, and others, but reviews on Amazon tend to peg them all as garbage)


Edited by KCChiefsfan - 12/15/11 at 2:12am
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post #7 of 19
12/15/11 at 6:22am

I'm with you on the necessity of remote controls when using an iPhone, or any recent apple product. Digging my phone out to change tracks/volume seems so 1998 to me. Here are a couple ideas for you.

 

1. I recently bought this upgrade cable from ebay. It apparently has the standard apple remote built in, so it will control volume as well as tracks. I'm hoping it will bring out the miss a bit as well on my tf10's. I previously had the vi cable, and didn't care for it- no volume control and poor quality.  BTW, I offered the seller $85, which he accepted. They have been shipped but have not arrived yet.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290643095397#ht_1064wt_831

 

2. I have some other iem's without replaceable cables/iphone controls. For those, I just pair a bluetooth headset remote (I use a jabra clipper) and then control playback thru that, while the headphones are plugged directly into the iPhone. Not perfect, but cheap and better than digging the phone out 20 times a day.

 

Good luck!

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post #8 of 19
12/15/11 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dlbernau View Post

...

 

1. I recently bought this upgrade cable from ebay. It apparently has the standard apple remote built in, so it will control volume as well as tracks. I'm hoping it will bring out the miss a bit as well on my tf10's. I previously had the vi cable, and didn't care for it- no volume control and poor quality.  BTW, I offered the seller $85, which he accepted. They have been shipped but have not arrived yet.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290643095397#ht_1064wt_831

 

...


Do share a review when ever you can. Also looking forward to a solution.

 

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post #9 of 19
12/15/11 at 11:10am

Will do!

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post #10 of 19
12/19/11 at 9:46am

I'm looking for an answer the the same problem. I've seen that cable with what looks like the iBuds remote on it and confess that I hesitated as it didn't look the best quality. The Beats Audio cable is just way more than I want to send at 250 USD.

 

The UE "vi" cable is dreadful. It's stiff and unpleasant and - in my case - now broken due to the very poor memory wire implementation. 

 

If only Jaben or Chris_himself offered a cable with mic and remote, I - and many others - would be a happy man!

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post #11 of 19
12/19/11 at 10:09am
Tried to click Subscribe and didn't get the usual Sub dialog. Interesting topic.

I'm a DIYer and have had this exact experiment (i.e. the eBay link above) in my queue ever since the three-button remote came out. Basically if someone is selling such a cable on eBay, I can make one. Right guys??

My best suggestion, though, would be to contact Chris_Himself and just ask for him to make this cable for you. Probably easier for him than for most people.

And BTW for the price point of this cable in that eBay listing, the remote is probably from a knockoff Apple headset because those are ridiculously inexpensive. Food for thought.
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post #12 of 19
12/19/11 at 10:53am

An easy (and free solution) would be to jailbreak your device. Then install activator from cydia. You can use this to set certain buttons to perform tasks. For example I have mine set to skip to the next track when I hold down the volume up key. And it plays/pauses when I hold down the volume down key.

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post #13 of 19
12/21/11 at 11:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eke2k6 View Post

An easy (and free solution) would be to jailbreak your device. Then install activator from cydia. You can use this to set certain buttons to perform tasks. For example I have mine set to skip to the next track when I hold down the volume up key. And it plays/pauses when I hold down the volume down key.

To be honest that's not really a solution. Certainly not for me, as I want the mic for use with a Blackberry and probably not for those using an iPhone Jailbreaking won't magically add a mic to an IEM cable.

 

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post #14 of 19
12/21/11 at 12:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LJ50 View Post

To be honest that's not really a solution. Certainly not for me, as I want the mic for use with a Blackberry and probably not for those using an iPhone Jailbreaking won't magically add a mic to an IEM cable.

 


 

It was directed at the OP who asked for the iPhone. Also, from the tone of his question it seems as if the remote control is more of a priority than the mic. You don't always have to spend money to get more functionality 


Edited by eke2k6 - 12/21/11 at 12:18pm
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post #15 of 19
12/22/11 at 12:12am
Thread Starter 

The mic & remote are equally important. The jail breaking solution might work for some, but it's not for me. I think I am better off just sticking with Universal IEMs that come with a 3-button remote + mic until the CIEM market catches with up the needs of their customers.

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