[trondareo]

Hi,
I bought a Pioneer SE-L40 cheaply since it was not working. Here are my pictures of the dismantling:
A more through description is on my blog: http://taooftubes.blogspot.com/2011/06/dismantling-pioneer-se-l40-headphone.html.
On the blog I also show how I cut away a bad section of cable and changed the jack plug.
 
The pads are held by small tabs in the shell. Twist the pads until flats in their base allow them to lift out of the  head shell. The screwdriver is pointing at the flat area.

 
To avoid damaging the speakers, keep the right and left speaker separated. I used the box

 
 

Lift of the perforated driver cover
 

The driver twists to release retaining lugs. Be careful the black plastic is weakened by age.
 

 
 
 
 

 

[chipinmyhead]

Hi, and let me first say that I appreciate your post. I recently purchased a pair of SE-L40's, and they have a short/static in the left side. I'd like to dismantle them to correct the issue, but I've been trying to rotate the earpad as you describe, and it seems difficult to impossible. I'm worried I'll damage it. Do you have any advice? I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

 

[trondareo]

I am sorry to hear that you have problems, The cutouts for freeing the pads do not have much free play to get them out. So you have to find the right spot. Another problem is that it is difficult to get a grip on the base of the pad and you risk tearing the pad cover by twisting to hard, but this was how I did it.
I have the headphones at work so I can take a look at them tomorrow and see if any other tricks are possible.

Do you manage to twist the pads, or are they stuck?

 

[chipinmyhead]

Hi, and thanks for the response! I did manage to twist the pads after compressing the pads around the entire ring and finding the area that compressed more, exposing the cutouts for the tabs. I inserted a blunt tipped object and used it to rotate the pads, and they came off.

Now for the new challenge: I noticed in your post/ photos that you have either plastic ring in the right canister, that retains the plug wire and the wire that passes into the headband. How did you remove that in order to take out the plug wire? Thanks again!

 

[trondareo]

Great! You got of the pads! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, i was very busy.
I am not sure what you mean by plastic retaining ring for cable?
There is a metal clamp around the wire to the plug to stop it tugging on the solder joints. You can just pry it open. I have not worked on the wires going through the headband so I cant remember if there is anything there.

 

[trondareo]

Here is another dismantling story that seems to have a black plastic cover inside the headphone shell over the wires. Is this what you have found?

httpw://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=224234[/URL]http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=224234

 

[chipinmyhead]

Hey, thanks for the response! Here's a photo of the ring. You show it in a picture on your blog as well. It's only in the can for the plug wire side, I think. Plastic ring inside the cup. Thanks ahead!

 

[trondareo]

Sorry Im afraid mine didnt have that cover. The black plastic you se on my pics is on the back of the speaker. The dismantling thread I posted from audiokarma had them so maybe mine has been tampered with and the cover thrown away. It might also be that we have different versions from different years.
By the way, twist the speaker about 10 degrees counter clockwise to free it. But beware of brittle plastic.

PS sorry I saw you had allready removed the speakers.

 

[chipinmyhead]

Just went back and looked at your post on audiokarma, and it was another guy (Isakalexande) who had the plastic insert on his pair--sorry, just didn't see that you had quoted his post. Also that's from 2011, so understandable that you don't remember, haha. 
 
One last question and I'll leave you to it--I'm a relative newbie at this, but I was wondering what the proper way to clean the speaker diaphragm would be? I don't want to use alcohol, etc. if it will dry the material out, but at the same time, the speaker has little specs of what I assume is (sorry) the previous owner's earwax, and they also had some hairs on them. Thanks again!
 
Victor

 

[trondareo]

There was a lot of crud on my speakers as well but the diaphram is thin and slightly sticky, so I just blew compressed air at a distance where it did not deform the diaphram. The stuff that did not come off, I left there. My thinking was that the pad and metal grill is between me and the crud, and I did not want to risk damaging the speaker.