JBL Flip 3 Teardown and USB Repair

[@MasterKoala777]

It's great to have people who are passionate about repairing gadgets, especially in today's culture of disposable electronics. I just got a brand new Flip 3 and stumbled upon this video. Nice, clear and interesting even to someone like me who doesn't do repairs.

[@decepticon1192]

almost made me cry, same has happened to my red one but i dont have any equpiment necessary for the repair, none the less beautiful repair man.

[@danieli1351]

richard hernandez Look if there is a repair cafe Ort something ist in your Neal, normale these guys are very helpful

[@officialhyperman]

There are some cheap soldering kits out there for like 10 dollars or 7 pounds

[@albert24138]

Hey there, mate. You have no idea how thankful I am that you've got this video for me to find and watch! I exclusively purchased two of these Jbl Flip 3 not even a year ago through the biggest apple store here at the country I currently live. After 4 months or so when my guarantee period had already ended, I started to struggle to properly charge the speakers because of the connector--- its teeth were gradually getting damaged. I use many devices at home and they all have the same or similar charger , so I never really care which one corresponds to which. They all seem to charge all, plus I was told that it didn't matter, so I was good. Point is, after both charging connector were just too ruined to ever charge again, I took them to several places for them to be repaired, but most of them said that they couldn't do anything, and that this device is recycling to be used once and so I needed to buy new ones as last and only alternative... Now this video of yours I'll shut them up for being useless technicians to even try to find out the solution to this small problem. I'll be buying the USB charging on ebay for replacement and then I'll be taking the speakers to the stores again for evidence and demonstration very soon . Cheers!

[@NearFarMedia]

It seems this might be a semi-common problem.... I'm happy I could help out! :)

[@mindaugaskaraciejus]

Hey I have Jbl charge 3 and when I was charging it and pulling the charger out the micro usb teeth broke. Do you think what warranty can change it or is it like sort of my mistake and I will need to pay money for repair:) Waiting for answer. Hope to hear from you soon :)))

[@clapyourfingers2518]

it' will be a common problem with charge 3 because of rubber cover, which presses down a usb cable. It would be wise to pushing it down with scotch tape or another kind. But I also just bending out the cover and prop up a speaker on it.

[@rajdisaz3372]

Buy www.connector4all.com/fr/micro-usb/8-jbl-flip-3-micro-usb-charging-port-connector.html

[@jamesbishop394]

Thank you as well. I'm new to soldering and probably won't attempt it.

[@nilent]

Finding a professional with the expertise to do this would involve paying them for at least an hour of their time which would be more costly than the item being repaired. On the other hand, if an amateur is willing to take maybe two or three hours of their own time....and they have more time than money and are sufficiently skilled, talented, and motivated.......then that's great. Of course, all of these situations could be totally avoided if the plug was initially designed to be idiot-proof so you could not accidentally repeatedly put it in backward. Your friend is lucky to have you. On the other hand, 3/4 of a million people have viewed this, I suspect/hope you will have been well compensated. : )

[@NearFarMedia]

To those who have asked: Unfortunately we aren't set up to do repairs. We recommend taking it to a local electronics / mobile phone repairer and even showing them this video if they are unsure of what's involved. Good luck and thanks for the interest! :)

[@lareadelacruz6004]

NFM hey i was wondering how much u charge to fix my jbl flip 3 its the same problem i dont cant do it myself if u can plz text me back that will be thankfull

[@kishorsaud8926]

where you buy Charging Socket Port from

[@MrDerar1]

I DID THE SAME

[@maryloco1373]

Helped a poor soul out here today. Thanks so much

[@mr.randomgamer888]

I like your way dude, pure and simple, with no ads or useless talking, if you keep this up you will be able to compete with jerryrigeverithing ,good luck k bro

[@8180634]

Thank you very much for posting this. The tip on how to remove the outer cloth cover was great, down hill from there! My son left ours in a cooler full of water and it was no longer working. Of course it had water in it after disassembling, but after hitting the control board with some electronic cleaner and some air, it turns on and appears to work properly! I'm going to leave it disassembled for a couple of days so the main area dries out, but there appears to be a reasonable chance that it's saved. Our model is newer and slightly different, but close enough that this was still extremely helpful.

[@katakis1]

A relative did the same to mine, got the charger all munched up. I guess she was expecting an iPhone connector. Sadly I don't have the money to get a soldering iron and a hot glue gun right now, otherwise i'd fix this thing right now with your video. thanks for taking the time mate!

[@Albylion]

Fixed an issue with the buttons no longer responsive (case too tight) thanks to your vid. Cheers!

[@unducational]

Will it keep it's water proof capability after taking just the speaker grill out and reassemble?

[@desza72]

Hi, you will fix my jbl 3 speaker. Your easy job

[@zplitt9]

4:45 my flip3 has not a part unscrew. its a solid peace oc plastic. tried to change the battery, but i cant get it out. on the right side, where the battery is plugged, i cant get it out because there is the cable from the buttons over it..

[@jaypenney6524]

Great video and explanation but can you show the de-soldering and re-soldering, how do you stop the solder from connecting to the next pin? These micro USB connectors are tiny

[@acid5641]

My dad left this exact speaker after he passed with the exact problem of the damaged USB port thanks for the tutorial 🙏

[@sashajasper497]

Do you know if you can buy a new board with the micro USB port? It would be interesting to know if the part number can be bought separately.

[@rrrymdr]

Hi where can find that screwdrivers??

[@bvxn7582]

Where is this guy from I would love for him to repair mine and I'll play him

[@NearFarMedia]

+Bennet Carrillo I'm in Japan, so probably a long way away unfortunately.....

[@Khyree_Holmes]

I ripped of the USB/AUX protective flap off, will it affect the splashproof-ness of it? looks like it would.

[@garr3tt88]

Hi my ribbon cable connecting to the power button is kinda damaged when I was doing a battery change. Do you know if that is easily replaceable?

[@DokuFREENET]

5:49 That Rubber on the other side can be removed, and there you can remote the flexcable

[@Cyroscop]

Hello! What is the model of microswitches (construction with micro switch buttons) that are responsible for enabling column, lowering and raising the volume, call answer button (pause), and pairing pairing mode with other speakers JBL Flip 3?

[@zplitt9]

hey mate, the channel "dope electronics" uploaded your video. with exact the same title.

[@NearFarMedia]

Thanks for the heads up! I've notified youtube. Please let me know if you see any more around the place. :)

[@jael9746]

NFM check out reverse engineer channel. they got uploaded the 1st part of this video

[@NearFarMedia]

Thanks! It's really appreciated! :)

[@Dan_TheMedic]

Just watching this as mine wouldn't charge, luckily I've managed to re-align the bent pins, but it would look likely for a repair at some point in the near future... how feasible would it be if I'm doing this repair to fit an apple charging port or new style USB-C port?

[@YourNeighborCarl]

Instead of de and re-soldering that little piece is it possible to just buy that whole piece? Or scavenge it from another unit? I have this exact problem, but would not be able to accomplish the soldering.

[@nanettebarling1222]

Sometimes the inductor doesn't get installed all the way. If you don't have any sound push it down and see if when you turn it on it plays the on tune.

[@yellowfoxx4877]

Hey friend where can I buy a set of those tall slim mini screw drivers

[@NearFarMedia]

They are 'Vessel' brand and come in a few different lengths. Here's a link to the manufacturers webpage: www.vessel.co.jp/english/product/screwdriver/list/27 They are the 9900 series at the top of the list on that page. Amazon Japan link: www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0016VA0CU/

[@chosenmimes2450]

Is there a way to convert this speaker into a micro-usb powered one that‘s on when it‘s plugged in?

[@aliasidhoum6315]

do we really have to take everything off like you did the speakers etc?

[@gauravkushwaha623]

I have problem with battery. Please make a video to replace battery and also please tell me where to find this particular battery...

[@trisha60]

ive just made a huge rant about this speaker!! they keep sending me faulty ones!!! any tips!?

[@deerek2013texas09]

Ebay $20 buddy

[@Astig.]

Great video! thanks for sharing this with us...

[@jeanlorilleux4237]

Hello, does this necessarily have to be the USB connector of a JBL flip 3, or we can use that of a phone for example ?

[@WTFgamer46]

Considering the micro usb is only used for charging, would it still work with only pins 1 and 5 soldered or does it still need all five pins? Thanks

[@NearFarMedia]

It will probably work, but the mechanical strength would be compromised by not soldering all the pins so I don't recommend soldering only pins 1 and 5.

[@WTFgamer46]

@@NearFarMedia It was more of a theoretical question. Just interested to know if that was even possible. Cheers buddy 😉

[@badldragon]

Is there a part number for the usb port board, soldered connector and all? Don't think I'd manage the intricate soldering required to repair my own. Is there a chance that the little charging/headphone jack board is connected to the main board via a plug?

[@NearFarMedia]

+M Alc I don't think you'll find spare parts from JBL.... I found the speakers to be unobtainable so far...

[@badldragon]

NFM aye, I've had a bit of a time trying to source. currently scoring eBay for other broken devices but so far there is nothing in the UK that might work. cheers.

[@badldragon]

a year later and my broken speaker is beyond the point of working. Time for me to nut up and fix it. On second viewing it doesn't really look too difficult...might need a needle point for my soldering iron though. Cheers

[@zambitofamily]

Great video. I have same problem but not your skills or equipment. I suspect this is a stupid question, but with the right usb cable, is it wired to charge through the aux jack?

[@NearFarMedia]

Nah, unfortunately it only charges through the USB jack.

[@PaulfromMNL]

Hi there - mine hasnt worked since i dont know when, but when i plug it in a charger, the light turns on. But doesnt connect nor is responsive. When i take it out from the charger, it just shuts down. Any fix for this, you know? Appreciate it.

[@stevegillam]

Same issue - job done. Thanks for taking the time to film and share :)

[@systembve]

Very good explanation, which is helpfull in my case. Thing is, the pcb board is smashed. I did find the usb-port online, only to find out there are more problems. Any idea how to find this particular pcb?

[@akshaykharvi2201]

What is the size of speakers

[@NearFarMedia]

I believe there are two are 1-inch speakers from memory.

[@VARocketry]

Technique Question: I see in another repair video the USB connector was removed by using a soldering station heat gun that used hot air on the rear side of the PCB, heated it, until the connector slipped off. Do you recommend that technique, or no?

[@Dilomski]

Thanks for the wonderful video.Do you know the app. size of the battery, or at where can we buy a spare?

[@MACG4]

Is it easy to replace the 1R5 inductor mentioned in 9:45 ? where do i get one of those inductor´s ?

[@Ov3rdoseX]

What kind of screwdriver did you use to unscrew the ones on the two sides where there are 6 on each side? I have Philips #1/#0/#00 but they all slip on those screws, even though they worked fine on the ones at the two ends

[@kyc1987]

Great video, considering attempting the repair myself. Been a while since I've handled a soldering iron, bit worried about damaging the circuit board.

[@andrewkamov]

apart from these being sold on ebay what is the actual part number of this USB?

[@amojak]

yay, you are my hero. I have a UK version of the JBL 3 and it has less screws. only the four at the ends mainly for what i needed to sort. the clip on grill has a slot clip one end and two clips the other. My issue is my on/off button stopped working and i assumed the clicky button had worn out. I soon found the cause, they had used hot melt glue inside the speaker and during the unusually hot weather recently in the UK had melted this hot melt and it had run down and over the on/off button. once the heat died down the button no longer worked. All i had to do was carve off the now solid hot melt and clicky works again. , reassembled and happy.

[@SuperSergio5555]

hi, can you replace it with a usb-c instead?

[@untouchable187]

where i can take the usb port i had the same problem...i wqs searching but not founding...

[@fallzsteve6442]

what r ur suggestions on fixing a monster blaster...when im switching it on, it givs a kind on like a radio screeching sound....some of the music is coming out, but its covered by the radio screeching sound...need help bro.

[@TheToyz14]

mine was dropped. and the right treble speaker was damaged. where can i buy the replacement treble speaker?thanks

[@adeljalloul4235]

i have the jbl flip 3 same like this one and it has the same problem and i don't know if should i fix it or give it to somebody pro because i don't have the equipments

[@ela2168]

This was so satisfactory to watch! I don't know why, but you just made fixing devices my new obsession :))))

[@thecrow3975]

Well done, thank you. Your video is amazing. Love the attention to detail. Liked!

[@paullecomtenz]

You are a bloody genius. I can't do this, but I can at lease send a link to the repair guy & say see!!!! My son only had this for 3 weeks before we stood on the USB unit while charging & munted it. Chur

[@kristineandersen1823]

This was super helpful. Nice to see how to open the speaker. My speaker's USB port looks fine and it will start charging. However, it will not continue charging, It keeps starting and stopping. What would the most likely reason for this issue?

[@alicecipriani_ID]

were I can find the connector? I need productor and code... RS components has got it ? Best regards

[@chookvalve]

is it the same for a black JBL thingy. ran out of hoopties!

[@suppermyrat]

mines not charging... but my chargers works fine on phones. what could be the problem? nice teardown btw. makes me want to repair mine by myself.

[@iceogre381]

Could you please help identify the components on the Flip 3 charge board located at C801 and C802. On the board I am repairing the usb these where knocked off and are lost.

[@NearFarMedia]

Sorry, I don't have the Flip3 with me anymore. I was repairing it for a friend and he has it now.

[@bogdanbydek2645]

You skipped bit where you do soldering to this tiny 5 pins. Why? I was waiting for this bit and u skipped it. Do I have to solder each pin separately?

[@brizzos1]

Hi Mate I have a similar speaker which has been dropped. I can hear something rattling about have you came across that before?

[@briankeithadams1985]

Great video! I have one question, can you buy the whole USB board, to eliminate all the soldering?

[@cstabler91668]

I don't know how to solder and have no proper equipment, so I am also interested if entire board can be purchased and replaced.

[@Evan058]

Hey I've got a question! I have the same problem, and I think I'm not the only one. But how did you solder those super mini five solder pins behind the micro USB port? The four pins on the sides are not that difficult, but how do you prevent that the solder pins don't hit each other? Thank you!

[@NearFarMedia]

A steady hand, a small amount of solder and a fine soldering tip will do it. If you do bridge the pins with solder, some solder wick or a solder sucker can be used to remove the excess solder but leave enough for the pins to stay attached.

[@fabiengarand4787]

What is the reference of the card connector USB Jack

[@Jukon_23]

Sorry, I have the same problem and I tried to get off this small circuit board from the connection, but it doesn't work.. The problem is, that the solder doesnt really melt and therefore my desoldering can not work.. How did you get that?

[@NearFarMedia]

It's lead free solder, so it needs a bit more heat than normal solder. I add normal solder and use a solder sucker to remove the old stuff then gently work the connector out. IIRC it is glued down a bit too, so you'll have to remove or cur the glue too.

[@Jukon_23]

60W Power is ok?

[@NearFarMedia]

You'll have to be careful that you don't lift the traces off the PCB with that much power.

[@ilaisaanefaaui6327]

I live in brisbane australia, are you able to do repairs ? I just need to replace james usb port but I dont have the tools to re solder

[@NearFarMedia]

+Ilaisaane Fa'aui I am in Japan unfortunately.... Maybe you can find someone with the tools and stuff and show them this video?

[@enriquemorales5822]

I have the same jbl speaker but I don't have time to fix it where can I go so they can fix it?

[@Zappadekat]

Great instruction! And stil valid.. Mine dropped and sound was gone.. could connect and charge.. but not even the intro sound. Turned out to be the 1R5 block on the board, it was completely broken off but no further damage. When I pushed it back in place, tada sound was back. Bit of superglue and problem solved!

[@Predator-ej8ii]

What type of screw driver did you use to take out the screws? I don't have one that small.

[@NearFarMedia]

A jewelers screw driver is what you want. You can get cheap sets from dollar stores or hardware stores and the like. All the screws in the device are Philips screws.

[@adambzh]

um...great video, but just one question... why you drill the board instead of cut the little rod off the connector....

[@NearFarMedia]

So the rod will provide more support to help prevent the USB port from breaking so easily.

[@ГригорийНеменущий-о7й]

and where you purchased this connector? You can link to the product?

[@NearFarMedia]

Here's a link to an ebay search fot the part I used: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=micro+usb+4+vertical

[@carlosalbertohernandezrome7399]

Where do you buy your cargo port and how did you order it?

[@NearFarMedia]

If you bother to read the video description you'd see the answer to your question.

[@ohger1]

Are the EXACT connectors available anywhere?

[@NearFarMedia]

Did you bother to read the video description?

[@ohger1]

@@NearFarMedia Yes. I also "bothered" to watch the video where the guy with the silly voice said the connector isn't the exact one and had to drill the board out.

[@true220605]

Just saw this video now in 2020, can the micro usb changed to usb type-c anyway???

[@NearFarMedia]

Possibly with a custom PCB to mount the USB-C connector to, but you might need extra circuitry to enable power supply negotiation. Probably easier and better to buy a new one with USB-C already installed..

[@CEzikMaj]

Is this 4x18650 type battery?

[@levaniutovou2434]

Could you do a video of how we could change the battery please... Mine keeps turning off as soon as I turn it on.. It turns on for just a mili second then it turns straight off after... Probably a battery thing right?

[@slowga4215]

Can you put a usb c type plug?

[@AengusPaintingsandMusic]

Hi there. I would really love to know where you got the 'geometry' styled vinyl worktop covering from? I am building a worktop for my studio and love that pattern but can't seem to find it anywhere online. Great video as well thanks.

[@NearFarMedia]

It's just a standard cutting mat. I found the black colour at a store here in Japan, but I haven't seen black anywhere else.

[@AengusPaintingsandMusic]

@@NearFarMedia Thanks, that helped a lot. Just typed that in and a load of green ones came up. On the right track now. Cheers.

[@stingrayshark9373]

About the speaker's glue coming off in the heat, don't you think it could be fixed by re-gluing it?

[@NearFarMedia]

+Stingray Shark Maybe with a steady hand... It would be pretty fiddly to do but worth a try if it's already broken anyway. :)

[@fc-ne6cs]

Hi, I live on the Gold Coast, can I post to you to fix or can you recommend someone here on the GC? I don't want to throw it away :(, mine looks exactly like the red one you are repairing

[@NearFarMedia]

Sorry, I don't know where you can take it. I'm in Japan and aren't set up for offering a repair service.

[@khadijahbaptistekb]

how did you remove the circuit board from the plug things

[@TERRAOperativeOriginal]

Khadijah Baptiste I had to desolder them as they are not real plugs

[@khadijahbaptistekb]

okay thank you

[@mokabay2202]

yeah but its not desoldering easily .... i give-up ....

[@mokabay2202]

what temperature have you used?

[@shouldiupload24]

is it still waterproof after opening it? ????????????? please answer me

[@finnweinknecht2590]

Bobby Lavinier The Box isn't waterproof its just splash resistant

[@shouldiupload24]

Finn Weinknecht yeah but I've seen people put it under water and nothing happened

[@NearFarMedia]

+Bobby Lavinier as long as you don't damage the seals it should be fine. I don't think it's rated for immersion in water though, more just a splash or quick dunk.

[@korrondeloach7768]

+NFM how much to fix

[@Rank_01m]

Is there any way I can send my jbl in and you guys can fix it, I have the exact same problem (please reply asap)

[@kaptaintrips]

Best video on YT for dissa on a Flip 3. Thanks, NFM !! Dubstep --- Turn that CRAP off!!! Nice

[@dEezNutZDoOLiST]

What type of soldering iron did u use

[@NearFarMedia]

Just a Hakko pencil iron with a fine tip.

[@garito175]

I just wonder where are you located??? To see if could repair my speaker Joel flip 3 asap

[@garito175]

Yo quiero saber donde puedo comprar esa parte que se dañó al speaker y cómo se llama esa parte que se dañó???

[@WickdPerfekT]

What do you think of me using the red and black wires out to a coaxial plug instead of usb? I won't be worrying about the data.

[@NearFarMedia]

As long as you make sure to only use a 5V power supply, and get negative and positive the correct way around, it should work fine.

[@WickdPerfekT]

@@NearFarMedia thank you. Yeah, I don't want to fuss with pins and I've got 5v sources. Thank you.

[@paadams26]

In a word "Excellent" Over videos seen were hacks and bodges and not a proper repair. No madding music in the background too

[@NearFarMedia]

Thanks! I really appreciate it, and am glad you found it useful. :)

[@HG80369]

Great video. I was wondering how to get one of those to bits.

[@jbsnarayana4938]

Best speaker available with Echo MRM capability

[@jamesgoodman9390]

Very informative. Thanks. Only one thing. What is the string for lol

[@wsmaga]

is there a way to buy the complete board so that way a person just can exchange boards instead of just the usb.

[@wsmaga]

update. i bought a used usb board from ebay for 10 bucks and fixed mines. thanks for showing how to take the speaker apart.

[@haroldpalmer3245]

wsmaga. Can you tell me the model of the board you purchased, seem a bit easier to replace the whole board. Any details or physical markers to make sure I get the right one? I appreciate it.

[@grasiel007]

Please, What is the battery specification?

[@liliggp]

hey i'm french ^^ hello i have a "flip4" is this the same pirincipe repair?

[@phoenixyt124]

Mine has tons of white noise at 10%-20% volume. Is that normal? Impossible to listen to podcasts until asleep.

[@Cyroscop]

Hi ! Please write the exact battery model, full name with the voltage and capacity?

[@kh485]

I tried this repair but when I attempted to pull the wires and white plastic connectors things appeared more complicated. The wires to the headphone jack and USB are very short. Maybe I should have tried to remove the solder first but that seemed tricky. This step in the video was skipped over.

[@carlosguadiana]

is that distortion i heard when you turned it on?

[@NearFarMedia]

Maybe a little, the turn on and off sounds are rather loud and strangely bass heavy... Not sure why, but when playing music there is no distortion until you turn it up really loud.

[@paullecomtenz]

Keep an eye on that, the small vibration develops further - we had to get our 1st one replaced as the vibration got worse & worse. JBL replaced it no questions, but the USB thing - this is genius

[@1MviewsJohnAashish]

+NFM man can u tell me i bought a new one yesterday.. and the micro usb cable doesnt go in all the. way. it charges. but the cable doest go all the way in. is it normal

[@carlosguadiana]

1M views -John Aashish some micro usb chargers are longer than others thats why it dosent go all the way in,but if its the regular charger it should go all the way in,but its not a problem if it dosent go all the way in, unless it disconects itself

[@1MviewsJohnAashish]

man but i have the original cable as provided by jbl. the orange one. even that cable doesnt go all the way in. but it still charges. but it is very loose. is it normal. have u tried it on ur flip 3?? or i should get a replacement one??

[@ronchinoy]

It would have been cool if you mentioned what voltage and AMPs the unit charges at when new or after replacing the part. I did this. It indicates that the unit is charging. But Even with the bat showing 80% the unit dies while playing music. When I charge it. It only charges at 5 volts .2 amps.

[@keshawnrichards]

Really helped me there.. Battery was running down pretty fast. Didn't know how to open the device.