[creyc]

I managed to grind the cable of my UM2's against the hard concrete abrasive surface of the street in a recent incident involving a car and my bicycle. The insulation of the cable has been mostly torn through, though the internal wires are still intact and so it does work still, electrically.

Now I need to figure out how to go about repairing these things. I could send them to Westone for repair, but they're out of warranty and I'm sure it would almost be more economical to buy some new Shure E500s or similar. I called Westone but they wouldn't give me an idea of the price for repair, leading me to believe I don't even want to hear it.

My other options are to try to fit a piece of heat shrink tubing over the cable, but I would need to either fit it over the connector (too big to shrink then) or cut the cable, solder and shrink it, risking not being able to solder the hair thin wires. The current electrical tape, i tell myself, is only temporary.

My goal is to get these fixed before my arm heals so I can use them on my next ride.

 

[Bull Moose]

Maybe I just had good luck, but when I emailed westone citing that I needed an out of warranty cable replacement they said it would cost 26 bucks plus shipping there. I haven't done it yet since I'm still studying abroad (they broke AFTER I got over here grrrrrr) but I wouldn't imagine that you'd be charged any different than me if it's only the cable that needs fixing. I think the crazy costs you're refering to would be if one of your drivers cut out. If that happened, then yeah, I would definitely recommend not having them repaired. I thought the same thing and was just gonna have to buy a replacement until I recieved the email telling me the end to my misery would only cost me 26 dollars plus shipping. This way...once the reviews for the Westone 3 start rolling in I can sell freshly re-cabled UM2s and already by halfway toward a triple driver universal! Hope this helps you out.
-Moose

 

[creyc]

Good tip, Bull Moose.

And really? No one else has ever broken/repaired their IEM wires??

 

[radiodork]

I don't suppose the car/bike/concrete combo had anything to do with the fact that you were wearing UM2s whilst cycling?

Hmmmmm?!?!?

 

[Pete7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiodork /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't suppose the car/bike/concrete combo had anything to do with the fact that you were wearing UM2s whilst cycling? Hmmmmm?!?!?

Look out! Safety Patrol is on to you now!

 

[illwafer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiodork /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't suppose the car/bike/concrete combo had anything to do with the fact that you were wearing UM2s whilst cycling? Hmmmmm?!?!?

I hope you aren't serious. I wear my UM2s and play the music LOUD every day on my commute to work. If a car is going to hit me, it is going to hit me, but not because I'm enjoying music. It's hard to dodge a car that is going a lot faster than you from behind just by using your ears. It ain't gonna happen.

Back to the topic, I accidentally mangled my cables at the gym, and I am using electrical tape wrapped around the 3 wires individually and collectively. I'll eventually send them in when they don't work anymore.

I would definitely get them repaired as opposed to buying new headphones.

 

[65535]

I am going to agree with illwafer, I was crossing a street listening with crappy Sony IEm's (before I found Head-fi) and I almost got hit by a car that went through the four way stop intersection while I was in his side for the cross walk on the opposite side from him, had half a mind to flatten a few tires. Considering the situation, I may have been able to hear him without IEM's but he would have been doing 30 when he hit me, stopped about 1 inch from my bikes front half.