Low end. Cheap. Generic. Otherwise bang for buck cable thread!

[Animagus]

I could be wrong, but I have never in my life totally fried a tantalum cap reversing polarity with the low voltages most IEMs see (ie 1v).

In fact, circuit testers (such as Cirrus) specifically test cables and circuit boards using low voltage because it doesn’t fry components when doing reverse polarity testing for example.

Hey Slater!
Well when there is a systematic correct way available, I reckon we should always teach that to people who don't know it. In case of the oddest possibility, one would always be safe having plugged the cable in the right way. I am an audio engineer so I always try to suggest what is technically correct.

Well I was talking to a successful IEM manufacturer recently and he told me that he received 2 units back to back to check as one of the earpieces wasn't working properly. It was the Tantalum capacitor that had fried. Ha! That always reminds me to double check when I'm plugging in new cables.

 

[Slater]

Hey Slater!
Well when there is a systematic correct way available, I reckon we should always teach that to people who don't know it. In case of the oddest possibility, one would always be safe having plugged the cable in the right way. I am an audio engineer so I always try to suggest what is technically correct.

Well I was talking to a successful IEM manufacturer recently and he told me that he received 2 units back to back to check as one of the earpieces wasn't working properly. It was the Tantalum capacitor that had fried. Ha! That always reminds me to double check when I'm plugging in new cables.

Sure, I totally agree. We're all here to learn

Did he say what the behavior to look out for was?

In other words, no sound at all, sound like the out of phase 'backwards' sound, loss of all treble, etc?

 

[Animagus]

Sure, I totally agree. We're all here to learn

Did he say what the behavior to look out for was?

In other words, no sound at all, sound like the out of phase 'backwards' sound, loss of all treble, etc?

I'll ask him how that IEM with a fried capacitor sounded like.

In pro audio tech, capacitors are used a lot for tone shaping. So most of the time if a capacitor is blown, the tone circuit doesn't work and it sounds as if that particular frequency band is either blown out of proportion or completely taken out.

 

[Slater]

For anyone who own the NiceHCK 2-pin type cables or something similar; which direction does the blue paint dot or the red paint on the one of the pins itself have to face on a KZ ZS6/7 connection? The rounded end or flat end?

Hey, I wanted to give you an update on this.

On all KZs, the 2-pin plug has a rounded side and a flat side. The rounded side is always +, and the flat side is always -.

It’s easy to remember because the flat side looks like a ‘-‘ sign.

On your cable I assume the red dot indicates + (although you would want to verify this with a multimeter).

Therefore, assuming red dot is +, you’d want to match up the rounded side of the KZ IEM with the red dot on the cable.

 

[hakuzen]

For anyone who own the NiceHCK 2-pin type cables or something similar; which direction does the blue paint dot or the red paint on the one of the pins itself have to face on a KZ ZS6/7 connection? The rounded end or flat end?

Hey, I wanted to give you an update on this.

On all KZs, the 2-pin plug has a rounded side and a flat side. The rounded side is always +, and the flat side is always -.

It’s easy to remember because the flat side looks like a ‘-‘ sign.

On your cable I assume the red dot indicates + (although you would want to verify this with a multimeter).

Therefore, assuming red dot is +, you’d want to match up the rounded side of the KZ IEM with the red dot on the cable.

iirc, manufacturers use to mark the pin which carries positive signal (the other pin will be ground, or negative in the case of balanced).
so, like @Slater says, marked pin goes into rounded part of kz socket (it's the most exterior hole, near the extreme, opposite to the nozzle)

 

[LamerDeluxe (tm)]

Err... not quite. Polarity still matters as well. At least if you want your IEM/earbud/headphone/speaker to work in the manner it was designed.

Ever hooked speakers up backwards? They move in the wrong direction, leading to reduced performance and possible damage. Same can happen to the diaphragm of any audio device.

For the speakers themselves it shouldn't matter, when there's no signal they are in a central neutral position, they get pulled back and forth by the alternating current of the incoming audio signal. It is just a coil. Your resulting audio wave is going to be upside-down, though even an upside-down sawtooth wave still just sounds like a sawtooth wave.

 

[Otto Motor]

Its alive: www.audioreviews.org



And it contains:
1. An in-depth review of the NiceHCK DT600
2. All my 20 or so Head-Fi reviews
3. My measurements database
4. A comprehensive overview of reversible modding

It is never too late to bookmark it.

 

[thejoker13]

I don't have anything to new to add, but just wanted to share some cable pictures with you all. These are some of my favorites.

 

[lonereaction]

Hi everyone! The cables of my Jerry Harvey JH16 (2010 model) died again.. will these cables in the 2 pin variant work with my old earphones?

 

[assassin10000]

Hi everyone! The cables of my Jerry Harvey JH16 (2010 model) died again.. will these cables in the 2 pin variant work with my old earphones?

Depends on the pin size and distance between them.

You can check the size on your old cables/connectors using a dial caliper, digital caliper or a micrometer.

 

[battosai]

Hi everyone! The cables of my Jerry Harvey JH16 (2010 model) died again.. will these cables in the 2 pin variant work with my old earphones?

Short answer is yes absolutely.
There are 2 types of 2-pin connectors:
0.78mm and 0.75mm so it's better to buy a cable fitting your exact size but in practice you can use both, one being slightly less ideal than the other...
For example I am using some nicehck 8 core in 2.5mm with my CTM customs...

 

[lonereaction]

Thank you Assassin10000 and Battosai!

 

[hakuzen]

found the bad solder in cable 131 of my list.
one core is connecting R+ and L-; bad soldering, that core is touching 2 contacts in the jack; still unable to unscrew the jack, though (it seems glued or somewhat). that's why i appreciate threaded and repairable plugs..

 

[Slater]

found the bad solder in cable 131 of my list.
one core is connecting R+ and L-; bad soldering, that core is touching 2 contacts in the jack; still unable to unscrew the jack, though (it seems glued or somewhat). that's why i appreciate threaded and repairable plugs..

I wish manufacturers wouldn’t glue the plugs closed. There’s absolutely no need for it, and as you mentioned the end user can’t unscrew the plug and do simple repairs.

 

[HungryPanda]

I agree I received a cable recently that was wired wrong, on the left side are 2 ground and on the right side the left and right positive. Plug was glued shut so will have to cut it off and use another to repair.