How to Test In Ear Buds (That use either a 1/4″ or 1/8” TRS).
a) Turn the meter on, and set the meter to Ohms – the 200 or 2k (2000) setting.
b) Place the red meter lead on the “tip” of the connector, and the black meter lead on the “ring” of the connector. The meter should read anywhere from 12 ohms up to 60 ohms (depending on the set of In-Ear buds) – this is the total impedance of the Earbuds – the starting point for the following tests. We get a total reading of 31.3 (refer to Video Clip).
c) Place the red meter lead on the “tip” of the connector, and the black meter lead on the “sleeve” of the connector. Now the meter should read around “half” of the total impedance (Example: If the total impedance reading in b) is 31.3 ohms, you should now read around 16 ohms – around half of 31.3). We get a reading of 15.2 ohms on one Earbud.
d) Now place the red meter lead on the “ring” of the connector, and the black meter lead on the “sleeve” of the connector. Now the meter should read around “half” of the total impedance, you should now read around 15.2 ohms as well. The “individual” ear piece readings will depend on the “total” reading you get with “b” (which is the total impedance of both ears).
e) If you read a “short” (000 or 000.1) or an “open” on any of the tests above then the Earbuds are defective (Short or Open could be both sides or just one side).
The measurement on “one” Ear Bud (above) indicates a reading of 15.2 ohms. The measurements on both Ear Buds should indicate a total reading of around 30.4 ohms (give or take a few ohms). Both Ear Buds added together should be close to the “exact” reading of 31.3 ohms (15.2 x 2 – 30.4).
How to Test Earbuds – Video Clip!
If one (or both) of the Ear Buds read Open or Shorted, you can perform another test to check if the “cable” could be defective. First, attach the meter leads to the connectors “Tip and Ring,” then start wiggling/moving the cable around to see if it affects the meter reading. Also, “push and pull’’ on the cable closest to the Ear Buds to see if the meter reading changes as well. This is a standard process that helps locate any breaks in the cable.
