5G 60GB iPod destroys right earphone

[EricH]

This happened with my B+W 20GB 4G. The right earphone on my Sony EX-71's just stopped working one day. I used some stock headphones for a few weeks while I sent the EX-71's back to Sony (they broke during the last week of the 90 day warranty), and they replaced them.

Got a black 5g 30gb shortly after and haven't had the problem since.

 

[RadicalBender]

Oh man, I thought it was just me! I thought maybe I'd crushed my 4G's right earbud cable in my bag and that's what was causing that slight crackle.

I don't listen through the earbuds as often as most (I mostly use the iPod in my truck with an FM transmitter) and I certainly don't listen to it at high volumes. (Have you ever listened to Zero 7 at a high volume? Not really the right effect. )

This is a bizarre problem!

 

[knightwalker]

HEY!!!!!! the same thing happened to me!

I had these really nice pair of Sony buds (believe me, really nice), and a few weeks ago the right earbud just stopped working... I thought it was just the ear-phones so i just reverted to the standard issue buds...

Thank you Digg for leading me to this post!

I guess the question is what are we going to do about it... how many people has this affected?

BTW my ipod is this new 5G 60GB model.

 

[buckdog06]

On my third pair of headphones

I am currently on my third pair of iPod headphones. My first ones came with my 3G 10GB iPod. These broke within 6 months, so BestBuy gave me some new ones for free. These once again broke, but I could fix the problem by banging the earbuds against a hard surface. Amazingly, this worked.

I got my 5G 30GB iPod a month ago, and recently started having the same problem. This time I decided to screw the iPod headphones, and get some Panasonic Headphones. I hope the iPod doesn't destroy them.

Let's hope this gets Apple's attention.

 

[devoinregress]

This happend to me too. I got another set of earbuds and they are doing alright. I am a bit worried about hooking this up to my spea/kers now. Does anyone know if going through an external amp removes the problem?

 

[Evdawg]

Yep, I'm having exactly the same problem with my 5G 30gb iPod.

When it first happened, I took my iPod back to the Apple store and they told me it was the headphones. I assured them that the same problem was happened with my other pair of headphones too, but they insisted that it wasn't the iPod, and they replaced the Apple headphones with a fresh pair.

The problem went away for a while but it started again about a week ago.

Someone really needs to contact Apple about this, because this is a VERY serious problem.

 

[MetalManCPA]

I alos stated this in another thread, but I think another factor to consider is whether those who have had their phones blown have been using any sort of equalization setting on the iPod. I use the treble boost.

 

[iMatt mini]

I have the 5G iPod, got it for Christmas, and have not had a problem with headphones at all. In fact I'm listening to it right now without a problem. Because of this thread I even checked to make sure it worked, on both of my headphones. I use the default pair when out in public and my Bose Quiet Comfort 2 Noise Cancelling headphones at home ($300), I'll be pretty mad if those break. But no problems at all in the month or so I've had it.

 

[VesperDEM]

I bought an 5G a couple days before Christmas. Been using it daily, no problems at all.

What you are all describing sounds an a lot like static electricity zapping your earbuds.

Last year around this time, I had my earbuds in and I was listening to my 3G iPod. I had a jacket on and took it off. I started hearing crackling in my earbuds, then felt myself being zapped by static electricity. At this point, the earbuds sounded like crap and never sounded good again.

Was it my iPods fault? No, not at all.

I've been very careful when using earbuds in the winter ever since.

 

[ahmedh]

for those of you having this problem, how much battery did you have when the righ bud finally blew?

 

[devoinregress]

I don't use any equalization with mine and it happend.

 

[George Chronis]

Same here but with shuffle

Kinda. My right er-6i started playing at VERY VERY low volume (you could barely hear it at 100% volume). This was on my 512MB shuffle. My 4G ipod plays well for 2 years now with the ER-4p and 3 different headsets. HOWEVER: I changed the filter on the er-6i and all is well. I don't know if the Shuffle did something to the filter or what. The filter did not appear to have any damage or dirt under a magnifying glass. I tried the same filter on the left earbud with the same low volume result. I don't know if this is related to this thread or a coincidence, but I'm just throwing it in here in case.

 

[DJ P]

My 3rd gen ipod had killed my ipod headphones... well not killed them but made the right side crackle...

personally I think the stock ipod headphones suck and don't use them, but I don't think it's just the 5G's that have done this...

 

[ahmedh]

what's wrong with their notebooks?

 

[carpentercraig]

Hi all,
This is my first post on the lounge. I have done a lot of overanaparalysis research regarding ipod and ipod accessories here though. Here is my quick fix for the right crackle problems a lot of you are having. I’ve placed a square of electrical tape over the 1/8 and accessory jack on the top of the g4 I have and cut a hole for the headphones.
I’ve left the accessory port covered to keep pocket lint and other debris out… problem solved.
I do have a question regarding long listening sessions.
I use my ipod and a pair of Shure e3s in a loud woodworking shop for up to 8 hours a day. And I find that I will lose sound in one of the earpieces (random as to which) towards the end of the day from time to time. It doesn’t seem to be related to the headphones as all as they work fine in other units and the next day with a fresh charge on the ipod. Is this common for ipods to lose a channel after extended use or when there battery gets low?

craig.

I guess I should point out that the electrical tape is used to hold the headphone jack out the thickness of the tape and stops the crackle from happening.

 

[StaplesGuy]

Hmmm..... my 4th generation 20gb iPod has killed a few headphones and I just just just got a 5th generation 60 gig but it's too early to tell

 

[dcharti]

chalk me up for a black 5G 30GB that also blew out my first pair of stock 'phones only a few days after I got it.

*sigh*

 

[Shak]

hahaa, my ipod is attatched to my computer speakers right now, lets see if it can bust my right speaker.

this has sort of happened to me, I had a pair of sony MDR-Q55s, and the right side stopped working. My friend bought the exact same pair, and his right side broke too but he used it on a iRiver H320. So maybe it wasnt the ipod, just bad quality headphones.

Also, my stock ipod earphones have cackling on the left earphone, but Im pretty sure thats from me blasting my music on them a couple of times. Cause my friend has more severe cackling but he blasts his music regularly. So maybe thats the reason for some people here?

 

[Walker]

My right stock bud crackles, just noticed it 3 days ago on the way to school. I too thought it was just the buds, but, I guess I was wrong.

 

[ipodder08]

I have a 20 gb 4th generation, without photo, and I am one my third pair of Apple headphones. My first ones, the stock headphones, fried after about two months, so I got the in-ear headpones. Within another two or three months the right headphone died. I got another pair of in-ear headphones from Apple in August, and they are still working fine.