YoungClayB
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- Aug 17, 2005
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Hey guys. Ever since I got my iPhone a few months ago, I have been torn between using my triple.fi's and using the crappy iPhone buds with the built in mic (especially when I am expecting a call from someone).
I searched the internet and couldn't find anyone selling the TFP10vi cable. I even called UE and tried to buy one, tried telling them that I already had the TFPvi's and that my cat chewed through the cable...they wouldnt budge; I seriously dont understand what their problem is with not wanting to sell the vi cable separately...it just doesnt make any sense. I probably would have paid ~50 bucks for the cable ALONE if it were available.
So earlier today, I was cleaning out my desk and I found a old clear UE cable that came with my super.fi's several years ago. The wheels started turning....what if I could somehow connect the triple.fi's to the stock apple cable (with the mic)...I've never really done any mods before and I pretty much stink at soldering, but I figured I would give it a try and see what happened.
IT WORKED!!!
I could not believe it
Anyways, here is how I did it.
Step 1: Take the earbuds off of the stock apple cable...You basically just remove the speaker with your fingernail or gently squeeze with pliars and the speaker will pop right off. Touch your soldering iron to the connections and the wires will come right off. Untie the knot and remove the old earbud housings
Step 2: Cut the UE cable...Using a razor knife, cut through the part of the UE cable that attaches the the UE phones. Once you've cut though it, pull it apart and the memory wire should stay attached to the half of the tip with the posts. The goal here is to gain access to the posts inside the resin...Cutting alone, won't quite get you there though.
Step 3: Drill through the resin to gain access to the posts...Using a very small drill bit (and dremel tool) drill 2 small holes (on each side of the memory wire)...the holes are not deep. Just deep enough for the drill bit to collide with the posts and give you a contact point for the connections.
Step 4: Connect the apple cable to the UE tip connector...Again, I am no soldering expert, but here is how I made the connections: First, melt some soldering wire onto the tip of your iron. Then you basically just stick the tip of your iron into the small holes that you drilled in step 3...Let it cool for a few seconds and then connect the wires.
Tips:
- Be sure to connect the common wire and hot wire to the correct posts. Since my UE cable was clear, this was a big help...by holding the UE tip connector up to the light (before I destroyed it of course
), I was able to see which post the common wire (copper wire) was connected to. If you hold the tip connector in front of you so that the side with the R/L label is facing you with the memory wire extending to the right, the common post is the one closest to the ceiling.
- Be sure that you keep the connections clean and separate, if the solder that you are using for the hot wire comes in contact with the solder you are using for the common wire, it will not work. I found it helpful to use a multimeter to check the continuity between my "mounds of solder" and the tips of the posts that actually connect to the triple.fi's. You want there to be continuity across the post, but you also want to check to make sure that you dont have continity crossing the posts.
The only thing that I still need to do is to apply some hot glue to the little "gaps" that you see in the picture. Even without the glue, the connections and everything feels pretty sturdy. It will be interesting to see how long it holds up.
Well, I hope this post can help someone else do the same thing...there dont seem to be many alternatives.
-Clay
I searched the internet and couldn't find anyone selling the TFP10vi cable. I even called UE and tried to buy one, tried telling them that I already had the TFPvi's and that my cat chewed through the cable...they wouldnt budge; I seriously dont understand what their problem is with not wanting to sell the vi cable separately...it just doesnt make any sense. I probably would have paid ~50 bucks for the cable ALONE if it were available.
So earlier today, I was cleaning out my desk and I found a old clear UE cable that came with my super.fi's several years ago. The wheels started turning....what if I could somehow connect the triple.fi's to the stock apple cable (with the mic)...I've never really done any mods before and I pretty much stink at soldering, but I figured I would give it a try and see what happened.
IT WORKED!!!
Anyways, here is how I did it.
Step 1: Take the earbuds off of the stock apple cable...You basically just remove the speaker with your fingernail or gently squeeze with pliars and the speaker will pop right off. Touch your soldering iron to the connections and the wires will come right off. Untie the knot and remove the old earbud housings
Step 2: Cut the UE cable...Using a razor knife, cut through the part of the UE cable that attaches the the UE phones. Once you've cut though it, pull it apart and the memory wire should stay attached to the half of the tip with the posts. The goal here is to gain access to the posts inside the resin...Cutting alone, won't quite get you there though.
Step 3: Drill through the resin to gain access to the posts...Using a very small drill bit (and dremel tool) drill 2 small holes (on each side of the memory wire)...the holes are not deep. Just deep enough for the drill bit to collide with the posts and give you a contact point for the connections.
Step 4: Connect the apple cable to the UE tip connector...Again, I am no soldering expert, but here is how I made the connections: First, melt some soldering wire onto the tip of your iron. Then you basically just stick the tip of your iron into the small holes that you drilled in step 3...Let it cool for a few seconds and then connect the wires.
Tips:
- Be sure to connect the common wire and hot wire to the correct posts. Since my UE cable was clear, this was a big help...by holding the UE tip connector up to the light (before I destroyed it of course
- Be sure that you keep the connections clean and separate, if the solder that you are using for the hot wire comes in contact with the solder you are using for the common wire, it will not work. I found it helpful to use a multimeter to check the continuity between my "mounds of solder" and the tips of the posts that actually connect to the triple.fi's. You want there to be continuity across the post, but you also want to check to make sure that you dont have continity crossing the posts.
The only thing that I still need to do is to apply some hot glue to the little "gaps" that you see in the picture. Even without the glue, the connections and everything feels pretty sturdy. It will be interesting to see how long it holds up.
Well, I hope this post can help someone else do the same thing...there dont seem to be many alternatives.
-Clay
