5G 60GB iPod destroys right earphone

[kittydog42]

I think that static discharge may be to blame here. The reasons:

1. It has happened to many different generation iPods.

2. Someone thought they got shocked by their earbuds, even though earbuds are almost entirely plastic and the iPod produces a negligable voltage.

3. It is mostly (but not all) right channels blowing out and most people are right handed.

What do you all think?

If yours blew out, are you right handed or do you usually remover your right earbud first?

Any recollection between touching your earbud and the loss of sound?

 

[Pilot69]

Got a 60 Video...using Shure E5C headphones. Right channel scratching started a couple of weeks ago...this is scary stuff as I paid near what the IPod cost for the headphones. How does this get by??

 

[Riffi]

By reading this thread and having blown my fair share of speakers. I would suspect that DC current is finding its way into the right earbud. If this is the case then pretty much any headphone would be damaged by this. Essentially DC will cause the speaker driver to heat like a toaster and burn up. Static discharge should not damage the coil but it might tear the diaphragm in that case the bud would sound really crappy and distorted. Either way its the iPod that is the cause.
If anyone has access to an electronic oscilloscope and an iPod that blows right earbuds. snip the earbud off strip the wires and connect it to the scope and look for DC voltage.
I'm sure the apple engineers have or are doing this and will correct the problem.
If however the video signal is shorting to the tip of the headphone jack and that signal causes the DC voltage then there is a serious design flaw with this model.
I haven't had this problem but I'm thinking of visiting my friendly neighborhood TV repairman and see if the video signal that is a millimeter or so away from the headphone jack would cause a signal that can burn out a headphone coil.

 

[Time_Trigger]

I'm having the same problem. I had quite a decent pair of Sony headphones which have worked out really well until about three weeks after I got my iPod, but now the right earphone is blown with no sound whatsoever. It could be just a coincidence, but after reading all of the posts here, I'm beginning to lean otherwise.

 

[paranoidxe]

No problems with mine..I've had it for about 2 weeks and I've played it all day twice. Off and On on other days and I haven't experienced this problem.

 

[King Terrific]

Same happened to me. I called apple and they told me to take my in ear headphones to the apple store to see about a replacement. I told them while on the phone that this seems to be a common problem and something needs to be done about it.

I urge everyone experiencing the right earbud blowout to complain to apple and officially make a case. I can't keep making trips to the applestore for replacement earbuds.

 

[coons88]

Yes I also have this same problem with my new 5g iPod.
And my previous 3g iPod also blew its right headphone.

 

[mgaspence]

Same happened with my 5G 30gig

I lost the right earbud on upgraded in-ear ipod earbuds. Best Buy switched out a new pair no questions asked. I thought this was a pair of defective earbud, but sounds like it's the 5G ipods.

What's the fix? Any word from Apple?

 

[ddentry]

Right Ear Died too...

HI

My right earbud died to. I'm not sure which iPod the headphones came with, but I think they were from the Shuffle. Died after using them with the new nano for less than a week. Apple gave me a new set at the store. So far, so good.

-David

 

[TheJosher]

I urge everyone experiencing the right earbud blowout to complain to apple and officially make a case. I can't keep making trips to the applestore for replacement earbuds.

Do it online. Look around for the iPod service page on apple.com... thats how I got mine replaced. They didn't require me to send my old pair in, and they shipped the new pair via 2-day DHL.


Josh

 

[SaintMalo]

How can I get apple to send me a new set of earbuds?

 

[nolamike]

Those with shot earphones--do you regularly pull your earphone plug while music is playing? No, this shouldn't cause damage, but maybe this + a hardware defect would.

For the record, I've had a 5G 60GB for a couple weeks, using it with various head/earphones and a cassette adapter -- no problems.

 

[arthurbang]

I've had the same problem with my 5G 60GB iPod.. I got it in November, and rarely listen with headphones, only through a cassette adapter in my car, and through my iHome clock radio. Until I read this thread, I just thought it was a fluke, but in a little over 2 months I've gone through 3 cassette adapters! Basically everytime so far, I've just been driving and all of a sudden, I completely lose the right channel of audio. Getting a new one fixes the problem. I haven't listened with headphones much, but have a bit recently. I notice crackle in the right headphone, and I have to listen at 100% to make it sound anywhere near loud enough. When I'm listening through the car, I listen at about 50% volume.

 

[masterxchief]

http://depot.info.apple.com/ipod/

use that to get new buds

 

[topmounter]

I'm pretty confused here...


I have a 4G Ipod and have not had any problems over the last year or so with my Shure e3 headphones.


If I purchase a new 5G Ipod, should I not use my Shure headphones with it? Is there something going on with the 5G that is unique, something that I would not have seen with my 4G?

 

[ishDog]

samee problem

same problem!! got my ipod on the 23rd and yesterday I noticed a crackling sound in my right ear bud, and then some time later, poof, it was gone..I orderd a replacement today..So this is a problem with the iPod right?

Oh, and equalizers are OFF
-volume is never over 60%

 

[BoomAM]

So is this a common problem or not? Or just a small minority?
Im buying a 5g iPod tomorrow so i could do with knowing one way or the other.

 

[CLAUDI1969]

This is officially a serious problem!!

I have a had the same problem with my earphones. First the original ones that came with it - after a couple of months the RIGHT bud died. I thought it was me (dropped them, squeezed them in my purse whatever). Could not find a new single pair and and spent big bucks to buy the ones with the remote (which I never use) (((
I vowed to be more careful, but as of recently, my RIGHT bud started fading again and I am sure it won't be long and it will be dead.
Any ideas what we can do about this?????????????????

 

[TheJosher]

Yeah, it does seem to be pretty widespread. I wouldn't worry about it if you plan to use the stock buds, as Apple will replace them free: http://depot.info.apple.com/ipod/

However, if you have an expensive pair of earbuds.. I'm not sure what to tell you. Make sure they have a good waranty


Josh

 

[BoomAM]

So is this problem gonna get fixed by Apple or what?
Im not to keen on shelling out £275 on a music player that'll require me to get new headphones every few months.
Im seriously considering not buying the iPod now.