Giving the Jlab Air Icon buds their deserved usb-c port

crwdns2853023:0crwdne2853023:0

Most of Jlab's wireless earbuds have a dangling USB-A cable that is permanently attached to the case. This is a nice feature to have as you don't need to carry a charging cable (only a charging brick or a device sporting a USB A port). However as soon as this cable is worn out mechanically, for instance by the daily bending of the cable that is required to use it, the charging case becomes a paperweight. The cable itself isn't available to order, which is to be expected from less than €30 earbuds.

crwdns2853024:0crwdne2853024:0

This repair was a an excellent excuse to use my new 3D-printer. I measured the dimensions of the cable slot as precise as possible with a set of calipers, and made a cad drawing with OnShape. If found some hand-solder friendly USB-c ports on AliExpress and designed the wiring enclosure around that. I had to print and adjust the cad file a few times to make it fit into the cable slot. The end result is ridiculously elegant, and it even complies with EU regulations!

crwdns2853025:0crwdne2853025:0

As expected, this took more time than planned, and could easily be done with some glue or epoxy around the wires and usb-c port. But it was good exercise in designing parts that fit onto commercial devices. The cheapest way to handle this repair would be just to replace the cable with a USB A part of a broken charging cable. That way it can even be considered upcycling.