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.

Step 2: Fix

I disconnected the battery first by unsoldering it.

The picture below is the flash memory chip. Notice the glob of solder on the left and the unconnected pins on the right. (The top 6 on the left are all N/C so maybe it doesnt matter? I cleaned them up anyway)

Apply lots of solder to all the pins (totally cover it up) then use wick to clean it off, leaving lovely soldered pins.

Step 3: Put It Back Together

Test it first and keep cleaning till it works!

Put the board back in its holder, make sure you put in the power switch knob first.

Slide back in then clip the buttons back.

Screw the clip back then you're done!

Step 4: The Battery

Someone commented that they wanted to see the battery. Here we go:

It's a lipo soft pack, they are reasonably commonly available, but I dont have a part number for you sorry.

But like another guy said, you can just buy the one that takes a micro-SD card from dealextreme for 7 bucks. This 2G one only cost me $14.

Comments

[12075797]

hey do you fix mp3 player and where can we get it fixt

[AbdulA186]

Hi friends
My mp3 player problem is hetting 6621 components after cunacting charger
And ontwork any condition
Plz help me my WhatsApp no 9889358231

[AyakaH]

Thanks so much for the guide. Althougn simple, this can prove to be pretty useful in my case, where dissassembling everything fixed the problem. Thanks again!

[foreverningg]

There's this constant clicking sound which wasn't heard when I listened to the tracks on my computer. It's very receptive and kind of annoying.
Otherwise design and everything else okay for the price ($10)
Is there any way to fix it?

[hassan3355]

i also have this mp3 but when i plug it for charging it works but when i un plug it stops......i have charged for many hours but still no response and when i connect it to computer it charges but my laptop doesnot recognize it ........plz help me

[calweyland]

Battery Problem...

[patt39]

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

[simplywink]

Hahaha! Same problem here, but I have a set of earphones with integrated volume control (a slider on the cord) and if I keep the volume on the earphones at low and the volume of player at high, the !@#$% is mostly gone :)
This left me with a reduced batt time and I miss the higher frequencies too.
However, since you posted 2 years ago I think your problem is solved by now (I replyed because your post made me laugh :)

[eltro]

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

[Mrtunk]

I would very much like to know how to add an sd card slot to this player. Eltro please open your player and take a pic of your board and expansion slot. These players are fun and economical, but dont have enough memory.

[icorpin]

i have the same problems with vshinwi. haven't you found the answer yet? :/

[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.

[castledancer]

Did you come up with anything to shuffle? It always plays the track in the same order from the "start", whatever that may be. I am going to try some experiments to see if the order depends on the track name or the file creation date. If I know what the little MP3 player is using to determine the order, I can rig up an artificial shuffle by changing the triggering conditions.

[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.

[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.