AKICOLJ 2

[wellinghall]

What is the best way of cleaning earphones?

More generally - my MP3 player has been getting quieter (ie, I've been needing to tun it up louder). And ideas?

ETA: It's not my ears (or at least, not just my ears), because adaese's earphones are much louder!

Comments

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Are you sure it is your MP3 player that is getting quieter and not your ears?

If not, maybe it is dusty or the earphones need, as you say, a clean or just replacing?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

No, because my player works fine when I use adaese''s earphones :-)

[crazyscot.livejournal.com]

Sounds a bit as though your earphones are clogging with wax. I'd imagine that judicious use of a carefully chosen solvent would do the trick. (Or perhaps your ears are suffering from wax blockage - happened to a family friend a few years ago, took her quite by surprise.)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Any idea what solvent might be good, and where I could get it from?

[crazyscot.livejournal.com]

Something marketed for cleaning hearing aids? (Google suggests isopropyl alcohol.) You'd need to be careful not to let it get to the diaphragms behind the mesh. Thinking on my feet, this might be done by holding them so that the mesh points downwards, then rubbing the mesh carefully with a cotton bud dipped in small amounts of cleaner. Of course, make sure they're dry before using.

An alternative might be to simply put them in the airing cupboard or slightly warmer place (body temperature? 60C?) for a few hours - again mesh downwards, so that any wax flows out.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Both good ideas - thanks.

[tovaglia.livejournal.com]

Ear syringing!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

No, because my player works fine when I use adaese''s earphones :-)

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

This wouldn't explain why an existing mp3 player had become quieter, but you may not realise that a piece of EU (obviously...) legislation artificially restricts the volume of all mp3 players. You can usually find a way to fix this with a bit of internet research.

Also, the earphones that come as standard with mp3 players are shite. I never use them. If you use an mp3 player a lot, treat yourself to a decent pair - you'll be amazed at how much difference they make.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I have got a decent pair of earphones, which makes it more annoying that they are blocked :-(