ikonomov
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2012
- Posts
- 20
- Likes
- 13
I have had Westone UM3X RC since they were released couple of years ago. I do not have any other IEM so I have used them a lot since I have bought them, many days wearing them for the majority of the day while working. I have oily skin, and this causes the triple flange ear tips that I use with them to get very oily whenever I take them off. This skin oil eventually must be getting into the headphones themselves, because so far I have had them serviced 2 times by Westone because of BA driver failure. This moisture/oil problem must be well known in the industry as almost all CIEM manufacturers recommend using hearing air dehumidifiers. I do use a dehumidifier every night when I use the headphones, and I think it really helps to delay the inevitable, but the problem is that it cannot prevent the BA drivers from eventually failing due to this moisture or oil.
Yesterday after taking them out of the pouch I discovered that the treble and mids BA drivers in the right side have stopped working (somehow while being in the pouch). I know it doesn't happen to all people, but it happens to some, regardless of how much and how careful they use the headphones. I'm pretty sure it is related to my oily skin. However the forums and product reviews are full of people complaining of the problem with all kinds of IEM that use BA drivers. I would like to report an interesting solution that has worked for me, and after doing a few searches seems to be undocumented, so maybe other people will find useful.
Sollution:
First, using a straw I carefully leaked some 91% Isopropyl alcohol into the opening of the IEMs so that it seeps inside and would eliminate the chance for any air to be trapped inside. Afterwards, I totally submerged the IEMs in a small container filled with the same 91% Isopropyl alcohol and let them soak for a few hours. After placing in the alcohol, I made sure the opening of the ear pieces was pointing up and helped any air bubbles to escape by trapping carefully on the container a few times. With some luck, if the alcohol successfully makes its way into the BA drivers, it will be able to mix in with the oil residues and after perfectly drying (as the alcohol does well), leave all the surfaces it comes in contact with clean. After it soaked for a few hours, I took both pieces out, I dried them, and placed them in the Dehumidifier for a few hours. Of course there is no grantee that this will work, but my right IEM piece returned to full volume in its full frequency response range. The sound quality is at its full bloom and I cannot perceive any negative consequence of the alcohol. Theoretically there shouldn't be any, as the alcohol will dry out perfectly, leaving only a very negligible amount of the oil residue and other particles behind. Nothing really that won't get back into the headphones with only a few times wearing them again. I'm not sure how long this can extend the life of the BA drivers, possibly not indefinitely, as nothing seems to last a long time these days, but hopefully longer than just having to rely on the Dehumidifier.
Yesterday after taking them out of the pouch I discovered that the treble and mids BA drivers in the right side have stopped working (somehow while being in the pouch). I know it doesn't happen to all people, but it happens to some, regardless of how much and how careful they use the headphones. I'm pretty sure it is related to my oily skin. However the forums and product reviews are full of people complaining of the problem with all kinds of IEM that use BA drivers. I would like to report an interesting solution that has worked for me, and after doing a few searches seems to be undocumented, so maybe other people will find useful.
Sollution:
First, using a straw I carefully leaked some 91% Isopropyl alcohol into the opening of the IEMs so that it seeps inside and would eliminate the chance for any air to be trapped inside. Afterwards, I totally submerged the IEMs in a small container filled with the same 91% Isopropyl alcohol and let them soak for a few hours. After placing in the alcohol, I made sure the opening of the ear pieces was pointing up and helped any air bubbles to escape by trapping carefully on the container a few times. With some luck, if the alcohol successfully makes its way into the BA drivers, it will be able to mix in with the oil residues and after perfectly drying (as the alcohol does well), leave all the surfaces it comes in contact with clean. After it soaked for a few hours, I took both pieces out, I dried them, and placed them in the Dehumidifier for a few hours. Of course there is no grantee that this will work, but my right IEM piece returned to full volume in its full frequency response range. The sound quality is at its full bloom and I cannot perceive any negative consequence of the alcohol. Theoretically there shouldn't be any, as the alcohol will dry out perfectly, leaving only a very negligible amount of the oil residue and other particles behind. Nothing really that won't get back into the headphones with only a few times wearing them again. I'm not sure how long this can extend the life of the BA drivers, possibly not indefinitely, as nothing seems to last a long time these days, but hopefully longer than just having to rely on the Dehumidifier.
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