Audiolab M-DAC Nano Headphone socket repair

[Chris Snow]

Welcome to my world :-)
Day job is electronics engineer and look after our SMT production too, I can happily solder 0402 components (1 x 0.5mm) with a soldering iron by hand, all about technique and a steady hand.
Much easier to make the pick and place machine do it though!, that can do 0.5x.25mm which I can barely pick up with tweezers!

Sounds like you have sorted it out and many other offers, but if all else fails I can sort that out no trouble.

 

[JimmyG]

Hello, I have the very same problem with my Audiolab M-DAC Nano :-/

Some PCB pads have detached (poor design of the headphone socket :-/). A shame as it still works if I press the socket onto the PCB.

A hi-fi repairer looked at it and told me it wasn't repairable, and took €50 for the privilege! Is he talking rubbish?

JimmyG

 

[Rickt]

I've repaired similar items with a soldering iron and copper tape and then went over it with nail varnish to protect it. The same tape you buy to stop snails from crawling aroung your plant pots . I bought a small roll from Poundland a few months ago. But there is a conductive paste/glue/putty you can buy that needs no soldering. It's conductive and sets and ideal for repairing your PCB's.

Conductive Wire Glue/Paint - NO Soldering Iron
Info:
Wire Glue Conductive Glue uses microcarbon technology to make a glue that also conducts electricity. That's right - no need for solder anymore; now you have Wire Glue! It acts like a glue, it acts like a wire. Put simply, it sticks bits together and allows electricity to flow between them. Wire Glue is great for repairing wires, gluing together electronic kits, and safe (i.e. no heat) .

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Conductive-Wire-Glue-Paint-Soldering/dp/B00SRIITQ4

 

[Screwdriver]

Yeah. I second that. Can't believe this five minute job is still incomplete over a year later!

 

[JimmyG]

Thanks. Interesting regarding the wire glue, may have to give that a go. Nothing else to lose.

I believe the original poster tried to repair his Audiolab himself in the end (regular soldering), but unsuccessfully.

When I read a few months ago how confident some of you were about this type of repair, I decided to send it to a hifi repairer here in Germany (where I am at the moment). So I was surprised when he deemed it unrepairable, and won't refund my €50 either!

Sch*#sse, as they say here :-)

 

[Wozzaaah]

Yes, unfortunately I had a go at repairing it myself and pretty much destroyed it. I ended up buying an EarStudio ESS 100 to replace it with.
The sound quality isn’t quite as good as the Audiolab when listening through decent headphones but I have it hooked up to an early 70s receiver in my garage and it’s fine for that.

 

[Alain75fr]

Annoyingly, while listening to some music last night I leant on my little headphone amp and managed to completely detach the headphone socket from the pcb.
I've opened it up and to me it looks like 3 of the pads have just popped apart but the other 3 have actually been ripped off the pcb and are still attached to the socket. What are my chances of a successful repair?
View attachment 279228View attachment 279229
For info, this is the other side.
View attachment 279230

Hi,

Same issue here ( very common, from what I'm reading on the forums! )

Will definetely try your solution, thanks for the uploads!

But I can't even open the black plasic caps, not even with a suction cup, I've heated the borders but couldn't separate them.

How did you managed to open the case, please? Is there a catch?

Thanks

 

[Wozzaaah]

The plastic caps clip together.
This image shows you how it all fits together.

 

[Alain75fr]

The plastic caps clip together.
This image shows you how it all fits together.

Thanks, I see, that makes more sense now...

But still, nothing fits between the plastic part and the aluminum edge, it's the size of a hair: I can't even fit a very thin cutter blade, let alone a knife, screwdriver, or plastic card.

I can barely fit a very thin aluminum foil. How did you manage to un-clip them, please?

 

[Wozzaaah]

It was 4 years ago so my memory is more than a little hazy but I seem to recall I just used a thin "spudger" to pry the cover up.
Try both sides, one is probably easier to remove than the other.
Work it into the middle of the edges where the clips are, not the corners.

 

[Seadog]

Flexing the joint often helps.

 

[Alain75fr]

It was 4 years ago so my memory is more than a little hazy but I seem to recall I just used a thin "spudger" to pry the cover up.
Try both sides, one is probably easier to remove than the other.
Work it into the middle of the edges where the clips are, not the corners.

Indeed, I see the clips are on the sides, but the corner is the only place I can insert something ( the foil! )

Thanks anyway, very helpful, will buy a 'spudger' screen opener and try, but it seems it's extremely complicated without damaging the plastic parts. What a bad design! Great idea, great sounding product but poorly implemented!

Kind regards

 

[500e]

Try a Scalpel blade

 

[Dragnet]

Often with those SMD failures the relevant track can be traced back to where it's a bit wider and a reasonable wire can be soldered on as a jumper. I've done several loads of this recently with cracked hi-fi PCBs. Good old-fashioned shellac can get into places hot glue can't. I've got a binocular microscope and a hot air station that helps with removing SMD, but a soldering iron can do pretty much as well for putting them back as long as the pads are clean. Superglue does work, but make sure not to hold the iron on too long as it fails with heat and releases the most unpleasant fumes!

Flattening some solid core wire with a hammer can be used to make rigid traces that can be soldered or glued far enough from the repair area that they don't detach during final soldering. Enamelled wire can be used down to hair-thin thicknesses, but needs a steady hand...

If you haven't already recycled the old one, I'd be happy to have a go at it.

@Alain75fr you could try a gentle squeeze in a vice. This is very useful for plastic-welded casings, but in this case might expand the slot enough for you to get a spudger in. An old credit card can work well sliding around these frustrating plastic clipped enclosures.

 

[Screwdriver]

Yes, unfortunately I had a go at repairing it myself and pretty much destroyed it. I ended up buying an EarStudio ESS 100 to replace it with.
The sound quality isn’t quite as good as the Audiolab when listening through decent headphones but I have it hooked up to an early 70s receiver in my garage and it’s fine for that.

Did you bin it or can I have it?

Please.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Did you bin it or can I have it?

Please.

Sorry, I binned it.

 

[Alain75fr]

Thanks everyone, I managed to open it. Without any utensils. For those who want a solution to open it:

Nothing, but nothing gets between the plastic cover and the aluminum rim.

Same scenario as with a phone screen. I barely managed to squeeze through a plasticized aluminum foil just a few microns thick.

Moving the foil up and down, in line with the clip, lifted the plastic cover just a millimeter, enough to allow me to insert a cutter blade and widen the opening by pressing the blade against the aluminum edge.

Finally, by forcing the cover it unclipped.

I'm not telling you that the jack simply fell, there's nothing holding it in place.

The weld has probably dried, and there's nothing sticky around it.

Incredibly poorly made, considering that it should have been the most securely fastened element, being subjected to some force when inserting or removing the jack.

A company this big could have just recalled the product instead of letting us struggle with such repairs. It's great that we're able to do it, but it's very frustrating that when you contact them, they apologize profusely for not being able to help you, after they've made their profit!

 

[Alain75fr]

Since I opened it and realized that I am in the same situation as you, @Wozzaaah, and considering your experience, I am afraid that I will do the same and destroy it!

I keep looking at it and thinking about what would be the best solution to fix it.

1. When I put it in place and press it, it works fine. But I don't think that just gluing it down will make good enough contact of the legs with PCB.

2. The jack legs completely cover the pads on the PCB board, so soldering is almost impossible. I will definitely ruin it.

3. Is it possible to 'replace' the small pads on the PCB? Are these parts available for purchase?

I think the simplest solution would be to replace the pads and I suspect that by placing the jack on top, it can be welded just by the heat transfer of the soldering gun touching the jack's feet.

Does what I'm saying make sense or is it stupid?

 

[ajlelectronics]

Glue down the socket and solder jump wires from the top of the tabs, to where they need to connect.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Take a look at Northridge Fix on YouTube, he does PCB repairs, including replacing missing pads. I’d say if you’re not comfortable working on tiny things then you’ll most likely destroy it, as I did.