Oxidation in the contacts of my Shure SE535 (How to remove it?)

[177261]

It seems there's been alot of oxidation going on on the contacts of both the in-ears and on the cables. The contacts are gold plated (it does look like so) but there's alot of green stuff which interacts with the sound and it's irritating me to hell. Especially the left bud is very much affected of it. The sound is popping out and in all the time on even the smallest movement and i've changed cables regurally. I've used q-buds but it's not helping me all that much. Should i also use some isopropanol or something to remove this green stuff?

 
How can i remove this green stuff and what's the best method?
 
Thanks!

 

[truckdriver]

I don't know what the best method might be,  but,  I've used an electrical contact cleaner (from Radio Shack or wherever they sell them).
 
First, I blast the cleaner in the earpiece opening (and on the cable connector area over a small trash can). Then, I actually fill those little earpiece holes with the cleaner (standing them up with a paper towel) and let it sit over-night. Then I blast spray it out again the next day.
 
Next, I used a lint free eye-glass cloth to get the excess cleaner off. After which, I blast it again with high pressure air (used to get dust off motherboards and whatnot).
 
I know it seems excessive, but I haven't had a sound-out issue since March of this year. I do, however, expect it will return some day. I use to repeat the process before it returned but this time I am waiting. So far no maintenance has been necessary for 3 months (or so).
 
The cable is harder to clean than the earpiece itself. It has a little hole and a little contact in the center that gets dirty. I suggest dipping those (facing downward) in cleaner for a day or so. Then wipe it with the cloth and blast it with air afterward.
 
 

 

[tinyman392]

If they were gold plated, they wouldn't oxidize...  Gold doesn't oxidize, it's very non-reactive (reason why countries use it to back their currency, it won't change into anything else).  I doubt your gold oxidized   Get a brush and try to brush it off?  If we're talking about copper, that's a different story.

 

[truckdriver]

Quote:

If they were gold plated, they wouldn't oxidize...  Gold doesn't oxidize, it's very non-reactive (reason why countries use it to back their currency, it won't change into anything else).  I doubt your gold oxidized   Get a brush and try to brush it off?  If we're talking about copper, that's a different story.

Perhaps it is the "gold" (like those thick rope chains) you could get (back in the day) at a mall kiosk. You know, the kind that would turn green before you got to your car.

 

[Ivabign]

Quote:

Perhaps it is the "gold" (like those thick rope chains) you could get (back in the day) at a mall kiosk. You know, the kind that would turn green before you got to your car.

You mean the kind of chain you bought for a girl where you knew the relationship would last a month or so? Because afterwards it didn't matter if her wrist, or the back of her neck, turned green as you were off identifying the next conquest.

 

[truckdriver]

Quote:

You mean the kind of chain you bought for a girl where you knew the relationship would last a month or so? Because afterwards it didn't matter if her wrist, or the back of her neck, turned green as you were off identifying the next conquest.

Ha! I wish I'd been that clever.....

 

[177261]

Quote:

I don't know what the best method might be,  but,  I've used an electrical contact cleaner (from Radio Shack or wherever they sell them).
 
First, I blast the cleaner in the earpiece opening (and on the cable connector area over a small trash can). Then, I actually fill those little earpiece holes with the cleaner (standing them up with a paper towel) and let it sit over-night. Then I blast spray it out again the next day.
 
Next, I used a lint free eye-glass cloth to get the excess cleaner off. After which, I blast it again with high pressure air (used to get dust off motherboards and whatnot).
 
I know it seems excessive, but I haven't had a sound-out issue since March of this year. I do, however, expect it will return some day. I use to repeat the process before it returned but this time I am waiting. So far no maintenance has been necessary for 3 months (or so).
 
The cable is harder to clean than the earpiece itself. It has a little hole and a little contact in the center that gets dirty. I suggest dipping those (facing downward) in cleaner for a day or so. Then wipe it with the cloth and blast it with air afterward.
 
 

That sounds like a expensive way to clean them but isn't there any other way i guess it's the only choice to get them clean. It will cost me about 200 kr (30 bucks). Well well i do whatever there is to get this annoying thing about the sound popping in and out and making that damn crackle noise .
 
Thanks a bunch btw!
Quote:

If they were gold plated, they wouldn't oxidize...  Gold doesn't oxidize, it's very non-reactive (reason why countries use it to back their currency, it won't change into anything else).  I doubt your gold oxidized   Get a brush and try to brush it off?  If we're talking about copper, that's a different story.

Mm is it really copper? It says "Gold-plated MMCX Connector" in the specs.
 
http://www.shure.com/americas/products/earphones-headphones/se-earphones/se535-sound-isolating-earphones

 

[duncan1]

From the photo it looks whitish but if you say its green  then its brass under the gold plating .It is very unlikely its copper underneath as gold plating isnt applied to that very often. Copper "hardens" with age  and becomes brittle and the price of copper is a lot higher than brass. I have bought and sold jewelry and the gold plating all depends on the price of the product cheap stuff is MICRONS thick and is soon removed by skin acidity. In any case if its for your ear then have you heard of copper poisoning ? The firm could be sued if your blood is contaminated[transmission through the skin]. No its probably brass nobodies   died from "brass poisoning" If it is more creamish than green its aluminium -oxide deposits now thats not good for you.gets into your brain like lead and prematurely ages you.If its brass then use a brass cleaner  when done properly it looks like gold from a distance.  

 

[truckdriver]

Quote:

That sounds like a expensive way to clean them but isn't there any other way i guess it's the only choice to get them clean. It will cost me about 200 kr (30 bucks). Well well i do whatever there is to get this annoying thing about the sound popping in and out and making that damn crackle noise .
 
Thanks a bunch btw!
Mm is it really copper? It says "Gold-plated MMCX Connector" in the specs.
 
http://www.shure.com/americas/products/earphones-headphones/se-earphones/se535-sound-isolating-earphones

Radio Shack's branded connection cleaner was 7 dollars and compressed air (from a different store) was 4 dollars.

 

[177261]

Quote:

From the photo it looks whitish but if you say its green  then its brass under the gold plating .It is very unlikely its copper underneath as gold plating isnt applied to that very often. Copper "hardens" with age  and becomes brittle and the price of copper is a lot higher than brass. I have bought and sold jewelry and the gold plating all depends on the price of the product cheap stuff is MICRONS thick and is soon removed by skin acidity. In any case if its for your ear then have you heard of copper poisoning ? The firm could be sued if your blood is contaminated[transmission through the skin]. No its probably brass nobodies   died from "brass poisoning" If it is more creamish than green its aluminium -oxide deposits now thats not good for you.gets into your brain like lead and prematurely ages you.If its brass then use a brass cleaner  when done properly it looks like gold from a distance.  

Yep it's brass under the gold plating for sure. It's more light green but green it is indeed. What's the best way to remove it?
Quote:

Radio Shack's branded connection cleaner was 7 dollars and compressed air (from a different store) was 4 dollars.

 


I don't live in the united states though. Everything is more expensive here!

 

[177261]

I believe it's copperoxides and coming from the copperwires in the cables. It's sort of both black and green stuff and is interfering heavily on the contact between the cable and earpiece.

 

[duncan1]

If --as you say--its copper oxide leeching from the copper cable thats bad news must be caused by sweating [sweat contains acid} and if black is also there thats worse that means its cheap copper that was used. To stop this happening again clean the copper wires with a cleaner that doesnt  leave a skin on it. probably from a chemist shop. Once the copper wires  are cleaned apply a thick VARNISH to them as you would to wood  when this dries it will protect the wires from being effected by sweat.  

 

[truckdriver]

Quote:

I believe it's copperoxides and coming from the copperwires in the cables. It's sort of both black and green stuff and is interfering heavily on the contact between the cable and earpiece.

 
I too saw black and green.
 
Whatever method you decide to use to thoroughly clean the contacts of both the cable and earpiece, it should restore the sound.

 

[tinyman392]

I know when I got my first pair of UE 900 it did have a post-manufacturing film on it (grease or something, dried).  Took an IEM cleaning tool (brush side) and thoroughly cleaned both ends (cable and housing), fixed most of the issues I had. 

 

[177261]

Quote:

I know when I got my first pair of UE 900 it did have a post-manufacturing film on it (grease or something, dried).  Took an IEM cleaning tool (brush side) and thoroughly cleaned both ends (cable and housing), fixed most of the issues I had. 

Where did you get hold of the brush?