[HiFiChris]

 

Unfortunately, it's really not very cost effective to repair these.  It would probably end up costing as much as just replacing it.

Are you handy with a soldering iron?  I could probably walk you through it.

Otherwise, I would shoot EtyRick an email explaining your situation.  He might be able to help.

I can solder. Once things get tiny, I'm not great. I was thinking of doing this, however I don't know how I would make it look normal/cover it up, after the repair.

 
 
Shrink tube around the part of the resistors and a new male 3.5 mm plug should do the trick to make it visually kind of normal again after you've replaced/fixed the cable.
 
By the way, a "helping hands" soldering aid might be immensely helpful during the procedure.

 

[Happytalk]

Shrink tube around the part of the resistors and a new male 3.5 mm plug should do the trick to make it visually kind of normal again after you've replaced/fixed the cable.

By the way, a "helping hands" soldering aid might be immensely helpful during the procedure.

Thanks. I have the helping hand. Was thinking of getting a magnifier visor and using both. The magnifier on the helping hand is just ok.

The only thing with this cable is that the short is obviously right near the resistor. So if I'm going to cut and and not replace the whole cable...well now that I'm writing this I just realized I may have to replace the whole cable run. Was planning on doing a snip near the resistor and then soldering the cut cable to the resistor and keeping the 3.5mm jack intact. Bad idea? Also, where is the cheapest place to get just a little heat shrink tubing for a small cable like this? Not planning on doing a ton of 3.5mm sized cable repairs.

 

[AnyDave]

  @EtyDave Does Etymotic has any plans to release some double flange tip in this year? I really love the comfort when I cut the last flange of the classic gray, but it's a little "ghetto style" because I need cut some plastic tube to compensate the nozzle size. I guess would be amazing if you guys release an official double flange. 

 
There aren't any plans that I know of.
 
Are you cutting off the smallest flange or the largest flange?  if you are cutting off the smallest flange, you may want to start with a the long stem 3-flange gray tips (part# ER38-18A).  If you are cutting off the smallest flange then obviously the longer stem won't make a difference.

 

[AnyDave]

   
 
Shrink tube around the part of the resistors and a new male 3.5 mm plug should do the trick to make it visually kind of normal again after you've replaced/fixed the cable.
 
By the way, a "helping hands" soldering aid might be immensely helpful during the procedure.

 
This is what I would advise as well.

 

[AnyDave]

Thanks. I have the helping hand. Was thinking of getting a magnifier visor and using both. The magnifier on the helping hand is just ok.

The only thing with this cable is that the short is obviously right near the resistor. So if I'm going to cut and and not replace the whole cable...well now that I'm writing this I just realized I may have to replace the whole cable run. Was planning on doing a snip near the resistor and then soldering the cut cable to the resistor and keeping the 3.5mm jack intact. Bad idea? Also, where is the cheapest place to get just a little heat shrink tubing for a small cable like this? Not planning on doing a ton of 3.5mm sized cable repairs.

 
Are you sure it's near the resistors?  The resistors are trapped in the inner overmold, so the cables feeding into them can't really move.  If it's the section of cable just before the molded section, I can see that might be difficult to do.  It'd almost be easier to make your own adapter.  At least that's what I would do.

 

[HiFiChris]

  Was planning on doing a snip near the resistor and then soldering the cut cable to the resistor and keeping the 3.5mm jack intact. Bad idea?

 
Chances are that the cable is also a little damaged in other spots, such as under the strain relief close to the resistors (or even worse, close to where the resistors are) and probably also has become weaker near the 3.5 mm plug, so you might either end up with a broken cable again in a short time or without having fixed it at all (been there, done that). If you are lucky though, the cable is probably really just broken in an easily fixable spot and works perfectly after this little "surgery".

Instead of going this easier way, it is probably better to replace the whole cable when you're already at it. At least that's what I would probably do.

 

 Also, where is the cheapest place to get just a little heat shrink tubing for a small cable like this? Not planning on doing a ton of 3.5mm sized cable repairs.
 

Local/nearby hardware store.

 

[ETYHeadRick]

Thanks. I have the helping hand. Was thinking of getting a magnifier visor and using both. The magnifier on the helping hand is just ok.

The only thing with this cable is that the short is obviously right near the resistor. So if I'm going to cut and and not replace the whole cable...well now that I'm writing this I just realized I may have to replace the whole cable run. Was planning on doing a snip near the resistor and then soldering the cut cable to the resistor and keeping the 3.5mm jack intact. Bad idea? Also, where is the cheapest place to get just a little heat shrink tubing for a small cable like this? Not planning on doing a ton of 3.5mm sized cable repairs.

Happytalk:  I'm pretty sure I can manage to get a replacement P-to-S cable mailed out for you. Feel free to PM me or email me your preferred shipping address to r_carlson@etymotic.com and I'll take care of it.

 

[james6333]

I got the ER4SR today and I like them better than the XR. The bass is obviously less but they allows the mids and highs to come more forward and let me turn them up a hair. On the XR I feel the volume (due to the bass) gets too loud before he mids are at the volume I want, I like my hearing. This make the upper mids and highs seem cleaner than the XR and maybe they are...

I will probably be selling the XR. The SR is more of a true Hifi tuning and seem more natural. They are closer to my speaker rig. I will give it a few days and then decide which to sell or I might keep both.


Sub bass is good on both the SR and XR but they both lack mid bass punch of a weighty dynamic driver brings. I feel like the XR adds sub bass but fails to add any mid bass punch like a big set of speakers would bring.

All in all these are the best IEM I have owned and they are also the cheapest... by a lot.

Well after about a week of owning both the ER4SR and ER4XR I have decided to keep both.

The SR is better IMO but it is nice to have options. Being they they are pretty cheap I will keep the XR around and occasionally use them for those moments when I want more bass.

 

[Happytalk]

Thanks for all the help, everyone. Dave and Rick! I will give it a try and report back. Will probably be a week or two before I get an hour or so, but I relish doing these little projects. One of the reasons I just don't send them in is that I have some trips coming up and can't be unsure when I'd get them back. My spare iems just don't compare to these, and I am permanently hooked! I'm definitely being cheap here, I admit it. XR is definitely in my future, just trying to behave financialy for an extended period of time. Somehow I've been able to manage this for a long time now, while still keeping up on things here at headfi. Dave and Rick, you guys are true gentlemen.

 

[gabetjh]

Removed

 

[CraftyClown]

if anyone owns a ER4PT or ER4P who is looking for an aftermarket cable let me know I am selling mine since I am exchanging my ER4PT for the ER4XR and the cable is unnecessary to me.

Yes I might be interested in taking it off your hands. I have an old Er4p with a dodgy cable. It would be nice to get it working, just for old times sake, as it was my first IEM, maybe 18 years ago and my introduction to high quality listening

 

[gabetjh]

i have contacted 

Yes I might be interested in taking it off your hands. I have an old Er4p with a dodgy cable. It would be nice to get it working, just for old times sake, as it was my first IEM, maybe 18 years ago and my introduction to high quality listening

i have contacted u via message!

 

[rggz]

   
There aren't any plans that I know of.
 
Are you cutting off the smallest flange or the largest flange?  if you are cutting off the smallest flange, you may want to start with a the long stem 3-flange gray tips (part# ER38-18A).  If you are cutting off the smallest flange then obviously the longer stem won't make a difference.

No problem, just an idea because I think that's a good option for people like me with small ear canal and complaint about comfort, definitely double-flange fixed this issue for me and isolation still good. Yes, I'm cutting off the smallest flange, but the problem without this extra "spacer" the filter won't be any protection/cover to avoid some possible ear wax damage the filter (an example: here) and, in my experience, just a small ear wax or dust can destroy the channel balance with knowles filter. But thank you for the advice! 

 

[AnyDave]

 
No problem, just an idea because I think that's a good option for people like me with small ear canal and complaint about comfort, definitely double-flange fixed this issue for me and isolation still good. Yes, I'm cutting off the smallest flange, but the problem without this extra "spacer" the filter won't be any protection/cover to avoid some possible ear wax damage the filter (an example: here) and, in my experience, just a small ear wax or dust can destroy the channel balance with knowles filter. But thank you for the advice! 

 
Thanks for the picture, that is very helpful.
 
If you use the long stem 3-flanges and then cut the smallest flange off, the extra stem length on the back end should help with a couple of things:
 
1.)  Having a longer stem will leave a sound channel in front of the front of the earphone.  This should help with the earwax issue.
 
2.)  Having the sound channel in front will actually correct the acoustics.  The acoustic response of the earphone factors in the 3-4mm of eartip sound channel in front of the damper.  Cutting the eartip and shortening that channel changes the response. 

 

[AnyDave]

Thanks for all the help, everyone. Dave and Rick! I will give it a try and report back. Will probably be a week or two before I get an hour or so, but I relish doing these little projects. One of the reasons I just don't send them in is that I have some trips coming up and can't be unsure when I'd get them back. My spare iems just don't compare to these, and I am permanently hooked! I'm definitely being cheap here, I admit it. XR is definitely in my future, just trying to behave financialy for an extended period of time. Somehow I've been able to manage this for a long time now, while still keeping up on things here at headfi. Dave and Rick, you guys are true gentlemen.

 
If it were me, I'd take Rick up on his replacement offer and then practice soldering on the broken one as time allows.
 
Then again, I like doing little projects like that as well.