two iPod Shuffles 2G fried one after the other ...

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two iPod Shuffles 2G fried one after the other ...

Bought an iPod Shuffle 2G last week. It didn't seem to charge completely (no green LED after 4 hours charging) but otherwise I could read/write tracks to and fro. However, on connecting Sony MDR NC11A headphones the charge rapidly went down, the red LED went on, the iPod became very warm and subsequently died.

Back to the shop for another one. This one charged up to the green LED but fried in the same way. This time I got my money back.

On contacting Apple support by webchat, they told me that it is possible to use other headphones with the iPod Shuffle 2G.

Before ordering a third one, I want to be sure that the iPod Shuffle 2G works with other standard headphones. Are there other occurrences of this weird behavior especially with Sony MDR NC11A headphones? Thanks a lot for letting me know. - Jos

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Dec 3, 2006 12:43 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 3, 2006 1:17 AM in response to J Gysenbergs

Are the headphones new? Have you used the before?
They could be faulty and causing the iPod battery to drain too quickly

Ian

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Answer 2

J Gysenbergs Author

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Dec 3, 2006 1:30 AM in response to Ian Parkinson

These MDR NC11A headphones are new and work OK with another iPod (4G Photo) and other devices like the headphones output of a NAD amplifier and a Mac mini ...

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Answer 3

Dec 3, 2006 5:52 AM in response to J Gysenbergs

Apple's already released some article, I think, saying that you sometimes have to wait for the second charge cycle before charge indications will be correct.

As for frying two in a row? You obviously have to suspect the headphones, which could have been checked by first using the Shuffle with the standard ones provided with it. The fact that it works okay with other things doesn't prove much at all, in my view; among other differences, those other things don't have multi-purpose mini plugs.

I'd be working with Apple on this one, perhaps taking the Sonys into a Store and having them try it out. I'm sure they'd like to know if there is something going on here.

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Answer 4

0Ari0

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Dec 3, 2006 6:00 AM in response to J Gysenbergs

These MDR NC11A headphones are new and work OK with
another iPod (4G Photo) and other devices like the
headphones output of a NAD amplifier and a Mac mini
...

Hmmm... are you using them with the noise canceling ON or
OFF?

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Answer 5

J Gysenbergs Author

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35 points

Dec 3, 2006 9:03 AM in response to 0Ari0

These MDR NC11A headphones are new and work OK

with

another iPod (4G Photo) and other devices like the
headphones output of a NAD amplifier and a Mac

mini

...

Hmmm... are you using them with the noise
canceling ON or
OFF?

I was using these with the noise canceling mainly off but sometimes on not for more than a minute or so. All in all the first Shuffle worked for about an hour, the second one almost died immediately.

Maybe the store where I bought them had a duff batch. Judging from what they were saying, I was the first one to buy the pods as they hadn't seen pods before (this was a non Apple store of course but a retail chain called Mediamarkt in Europe)

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8) 300G and 250G HD, 3G RAM, ATI Radeon 9600, 2 Eizo displays

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Answer 6

J Gysenbergs Author

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35 points

Dec 3, 2006 9:25 AM in response to Michael Morgan1

Apple's already released some article, I think,
saying that you sometimes have to wait for the second
charge cycle before charge indications will be
correct.

Sure, in any case the red LED was very correct indicating a low charge only this happened after a couple of minutes with the second pod. The first one lived for appr. an hour before the red LED went on..

As for frying two in a row? You obviously have to
suspect the headphones, which could have been checked
by first using the Shuffle with the standard ones
provided with it. The fact that it works okay with
other things doesn't prove much at all, in my view;
among other differences, those other things don't
have multi-purpose mini plugs.

Forgot to mention, I used the original headphones just to make sure the pods worked OK. You could be right about the multi purpose plug. Also, the impedance of the NC11 is higher but that's the case with so many headphones even among these of Apple themself: eg the ones with the Shufflepod are 32 Ohm each, the 'new' ones with the earbuds are 16 Ohm.

I'd be working with Apple on this one, perhaps taking
the Sonys into a Store and having them try it out.
I'm sure they'd like to know if there is something
going on here.

Sure thing but I think Apple has to find out, not me. But I'm sure they will, it's just a hassle to bother the local Store and I can't work with the Mediamarkt, the non Apple store where I bought these as they probably don't know the difference between an iPod and a UFO.

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8) 300G and 250G HD, 3G RAM, ATI Radeon 9600, 2 Eizo displays

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Answer 7

0Ari0

Level 5

4,995 points

Dec 3, 2006 10:00 AM in response to J Gysenbergs

Before ordering a third one, I want to be sure that
the iPod Shuffle 2G works with other standard
headphones. Are there other occurrences of this weird
behavior especially with Sony MDR NC11A headphones?

Just out of curiosity, compare the plug on the MDR NC11A to the plug on the earphones supplied with the Shuffle... do you see any measursable differences such as the length of the plug, or the width of the bands?

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Answer 8

J Gysenbergs Author

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35 points

Dec 3, 2006 10:23 AM in response to 0Ari0

Yes indeed I took a closer look at the plugs. On the Sonys NC11 the ground bit (closest to the pod case when plugged in) has almost one millimeter of exposed bare copper whereas the podphones are isolated. However the pod has an isolating area preventing a short between the ground and case. I'll post an url with jpgs of both the plugs if possible.

Meanwhile a third iPod Shuffle 2G arrived, this time from the online Apple store. It's one for my significant other so I'm a bit reluctant to set up potentially desastrous experiments.

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 9

J Gysenbergs Author

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Dec 3, 2006 11:20 AM in response to 0Ari0

There are two jpgs of the Sony MDR NC11A headphones plug on

http://spekmetbonen.net/sonync11plug

The length and width are the same as the pod headphones: 14,5 mm x 3,5 mm but there clearly is a difference as described in an earlier post.

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 10

0Ari0

Level 5

4,995 points

Dec 3, 2006 11:33 AM in response to J Gysenbergs

Yes indeed I took a closer look at the plugs. On the
Sonys NC11 the ground bit (closest to the pod case
when plugged in) has almost one millimeter of exposed
bare copper whereas the podphones are isolated.
However the pod has an isolating area preventing a
short between the ground and case. I'll post an url
with jpgs of both the plugs if possible.

Examine the connection closely with the Shuffle powered
OFF... looks to me like that metal COULD contact the Shuffle's aluminum case...that couls explain the fried condition of your first two.

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Answer 11

J Gysenbergs Author

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35 points

Dec 3, 2006 12:34 PM in response to 0Ari0

Yes indeed! I measure a short (2 Ohms) between the aluminum case and the ground terminal of the Sony plug when applying a bit of pressure on the plug. It's barely visible but with a magnifying glass one can see a very very small overlapping area which causes the short circuit.

A permanent solution would be milling of the plug a tiny bit or otherwise isolating the plug from the case with some varnish or sticky tape. However after some wear and tear the isolation will come off with devastating effect.

G5 SP 1,8 G Mac OS X (10.4.8)

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Answer 12

Dec 3, 2006 2:58 PM in response to J Gysenbergs

There's your answer. The question now is whether this is a manufacturing defect either (a) with that Sony minijack or (b) with all used by that kind of Sony units, or (c) something that affects many more 3P sets.

The 2G hasn't been out that long, but yours is the first of this type of problem that I can recall; (a) or (b) above seem most likely.

Don't use those headphones with your new Shuffle.

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Answer 13

Dec 4, 2006 4:08 AM in response to Michael Morgan1

So basically what we are now saying is that Apple are not at fault here and that the user has damaged two iPod by using headphones that are of a non standard design (i.e. have a metal pat of the body which can sort on the device in which it is used)

Ian

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Answer 14

0Ari0

Level 5

4,995 points

Dec 4, 2006 6:39 AM in response to Ian Parkinson

So basically what we are now saying is that Apple are
not at fault here and that the user has damaged two
iPod by using headphones that are of a non standard
design (i.e. have a metal pat of the body which can
sort on the device in which it is used)

Yes...BUT Apple seems to not have thought the design
ramifications through sufficiently to caution customers
against using earphone plugs or audio cable plugs which
have metal housings such as the following:
http://images.belkin.com/F8V203-06GLD-AP/FUL1_F8V203-06GLD-AP.jpg

available from Apple Store, btw...

I just looked throough my cable collection and found a slightly different audio connection cable with a metal plate at the rear end of the plug which would short to the Shuffle case...not a problem until now.

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Answer 15

Dec 4, 2006 7:31 AM in response to Ian Parkinson

That's what my take would be, yes. Whether he or someone else wants to continue to press the case, play the whole 'blame game' out to the end, is up to him or them.

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