Fixing a cheapo chinese MP3 Player

I got this cheap MP3 player, but when I plugged it into my PC it said "Please insert disk" or something like that!

So I opened it up and lo and behold the flash chip wasnt soldered in properly.

Anyway here are some tips on how to open it up, fix and put back together.

Step 1 Opening Up

First unscrew the screw. There is only one!
This holds the pocket clip on.

Now carefully take the front buttons off, via the top. They clip in either side so take a small screwdriver and pry it out. (you can see the little tabs on the picture. They are only on the right side, the bottom case clips into the buttons from the left side)

Next find the little clips on the bottom each end. Use small screwdrivers to push them in then gently slide the inner shell out of the metal casing.

Comments

[vshinwi]

How do i play shuffle the songs in the mp3? Cause whenever i on and off, the songs play in like the same songs everytime.

[mrdovie]

These and others are available at alibaba.com I bought an MP3 player that plays through the car FM and plugs in the lighter socket. They want you to buy in quantity and tell your bank you are making the purchase, my visa was frozen once I did :-( The players worked fine.

[rhasad9999]

How i can get this battery? I need for my chinese mp3.

[patt39]

any ideas on how to fix the sound quality? mine sounds like !@#$%

[eltro]

I bought this in india for 2$ :-P , but it doesnt have an inbuilt flash memory , but an expandable microSd Slot :-P

[Phil B]

I have one of these and it has worked well.  I was hoping one of your photos might show the battery.  Although mine works fine, I may want a battery replacement one day.  This unit appears to be a knock off of the 2nd generation (I think) iPod Shuffle.  Amazon actually sells replacement battery kits for the iPod with a tool and instructions.  I suspect the battery and placement in this are the same.

The USB connection on the unit is the same as a Blackberry charger.  I added a bleeder resistor in-line to drop the charger output from 500 mA to about the recommended 350 mA.  It gives me more options when I travel with it.

Your repair is clever.  Thank you.

[angryfeet]

I've added in another page for you which shows the battery. Have fun

[Phil B]

Thank you.  I happened to think I could spend about $6 for a battery kit and spend some time installing it, or I could simply buy a new player for $7.02.  Maybe that will change by the time I need a battery, though.

[masterochicken]

They sell these knock offs for about 7 bucks on deal extreme.

[Phil B]

Certainly you would need to add shipping to that.  Am I correct?  I got mine for $10 at a Fred Meyer store (similar to Target or K-Mart).  It was marked down from $15.  They no longer have them.

[Phil B]

I just found them on Deal Extreme and they are $7.02 with no shipping charges.  My son-in-law got one of these and complained that it did not hold a decent charge.  He failed to follow the charging instructions which tell you to turn the unit "on" when charging.  It worked a lot better after he followed the instructions.

[LoneWolf]

Nice username :D  (i.e. angryfeet)