[Jetblackstar]

TLRD; has anyone replaced the cables on IEM's?

So I loved my SoundMagic E10's. £35 when I first got them and done me very well.

They met with an incident with my GF's hamster whom chewed through the thin cable. 
At the time I resisted the urge to kill the thing and instead focused my energy on fixing.

I managed to use a perf board to break out the tiny cables and solder both ends on. I used silver solder but wasn't expecting amazing results. It did however do a pretty good job. But it did leave an unsightly lump which I ultimately encased in epoxy to seal and protect. 

That patch has finally broken and given way, and another nick towards the bud itself has appeared. The inner cable is super thin and hard to work with.

So I'm left here wondering, anyone ever torn down the E10's or other IEM's to replace cables completely  As I think replacing the whole cable and plug is in order and I have no other reason to give up on them.

I just can't see quite how one might open the tiny housing.

Thanks in Advance.  

 

[Jetblackstar]

Ok, answered my own question. 
First off saw some images of the E10s with custom cables fitted, in a forum in a foreign language I presumed it was possible. 
The Driver was un mutilated and the job looked clean.
 
So I just played with them, knowing they were broken and any damage wasn't going to hurt.
 
Turns out they are glued together on a join between the coloured part of the bud and the front black part of the driver. 

 
First one I used a blunt letter opener to prise into the gap between gently, and my thumbnail.
The second one it's obvious there isn't really meant to be any gap at all and applying a firm bending pressure between the black front of the driver and the coloured housing is necessary. Either pull or bend and move round always trying to use your nail to squeeze inbetween them. 
I'd suggest warming them gently, as I suspect the glue will be more malleable and may even be heat activated glue. 
 
With care and firm pressure the glue eventually pulls away. Take care as you pull it apart to pull away the glue but not the cables attaching to the driver. Once the glue is clear you can see what you have.
 
Couple of simple reasonably sized solder points on the back of the driver. The coloured part of the casing is nothing but plastic casing and a rubber insert for the cable grommet.
 
Replacing the cable should be easy with a temperature controlled soldering iron (Cheap pen iron might nuke the driver by overheating) so grab a cheapo controlled iron from Maplin (£16) and you will be safer. Doubt its silver solder, so lower temp is fine.
 
 
Now I just need to find a suitable replacement cable in the UK. 
 
Anyone suggest a UK audiophile cable supplier? Some low oxygen copper would do the job, but it has to be thin and flexible enough to fit through the tiny hole in the casing. But thicker than the original so it stands up to the test of time better.
 
If I find something suitable I will post back here.

 

[Jetblackstar]

So have had success. 
Had to switch out cables from my first attempt as the micro-phonics from the fairly stiff cable was hideous  I can see why the original cable was so soft to help reduce this. My first cable were core strands from a 5 core data cable that used high purity copper that wasn't solid but strands. Size was eprfect but it was too stiff and sounded really really absent in bass.
 
I've ended up with some not so optimal cable from Maplin. I really hoped I could find something appropriate, it's micro speaker cable, but the insulation is huge. At least it's Oxygen Free Copper and about the right thickness of copper strands.
For £35 IEMs I wasn't going to go crazy and get silver cable or high end copper cable. The original cable was so damn thin anyway anything is better and more durable.
 
I would still really like a link to a Audiophile cable supplier in the UK that does cut to length. Also for the interconnects etc. As Maplin ones were hideous.
I've dealt with the Missing Link before, he's great. But doesn't seem to do DIY kit anymore. And I feel mean pestering him for advice when he sells £200 silver cables and I want to spent £10 on parts.
 
I can buy cable and parts from eBay or RadioSpares but I'm never sure how appropriate they are for higher end hifi gear.
 
I'll post pics later. 
 
There was an incident when cabling for a second time where I went to bend the soldered joint to fit in the ear bud housing and it snapped the surface mount copper off the PCB. I thought that was it. But managed to find a copper point further up big enough to solder to.
Pretty much kills any more re-cabling as I'd fear I wont be able to solder it ever again.
 
It's far from my normal pro job but they work, well. 
 
Acoustically they are very sharp and clear in the treble end, possibly even better. But they seem to have lost a bit more bass than they had. Very absent. I know IEMs are prone to this and I have thought this sometimes about the E10s before when I'm used to my AH-D2000 big headphones. Its possible where the housing seal isn't glues yet the bass isn't reflecting right. 
 
But that was just plugged into my Nexus, I'll try them out with my iBasso d-Zero and see if I've just increased the impedance with the cable change (Not sure that makes sense, but it's worth a try)
 
Good luck to anyone else trying to re cable cheaper IEMs. It IS possible and if it's for a fix it is worth it. Would have been better with more appropriate cable. 

 

[Neilus]

I have been looking for how to take these to pieces for ages. I am now at the stage where I have opened up my E10's (thanks to you). im wondering how you can tell which contact is + or -.  hope you can help us out pal