Follow-up on my attempt to repair my Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds
Context
If you remember this article where I complained about what I called "throw-away earbuds", I had finally decided to try replacing the batteries in my Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds.
Here's how it went.
Gear I used
I had ordered a complete kit to replace the batteries, which included also the tools to disassemble the earbuds. I also invested in a small heat gun, figuring out it would be useful in the future:
I followed this iFixit guide which is detailed and clear.
Here's how an open earbud looks like:
The result
I did the first earbud without any issue, however the second one proved a bit more challenging, and when I reassembled it and glued it, I realised afterwards that there was a kind of "white noise" when enabling noise cancelling.
Since I didn't want to reopen it and risk breaking it, I will keep it as it until it dies, at which point I'll replace it with the Fairphone earbuds.
Conclusion
While I'm glad I replaced the batteries, I still think it's super sad that vendors do not allow easier part replacements: you have to be really motivated to proceed, and it's so much easier (albeit more expansive and less friendly to our planet) to "just" buy a new pair of earbuds.
Tags: Geek