Nice. Shame you have already taken apart the d2. Stripped mine, replaced the screen and the casing with the lovely white casing on the newer broken d2 i bought for the screen. Cost me $85 vs $90 + shipping, and i now have a non dab d2 which i can use to test 3.xx and 4.xx stuff, a nicer white d2 (swapped housings) however it does have a cracked screen and missing power slider, but i got a crystal case with the one i bought to use for parts too, so a no brainer money wise, and was easy, i wasnt without my player, didnt have to ship it around the world and risk more damadge, and got more stuff for less money! SELF REPAIRS FTW!

Is the telechips the reason why it sounds so good? Or is it the codec?

you're welcome, Baines.

hey abi, thanks for posting the pictures.

i am currently having a few problems with it now, it decides to freeze every now and then, or it wont turn on properly and the screen will go all liney. i reckon this waas because i disconnected the battery, and it may have corrupted a firmware or something? or it may have suffered (am hoping not) from ESD :( it works sometimes, but im going to reflash it with the firmware again, and if that doesnt fix it then ill wait for the rockbox port :P might just be buying myself a cowon D2 if i cant fix it :)

It's definitely not telechips what makes it sound so good, some other kinda crappy-sounded gadgets, like Samsung YP-K3, have the same TCC771L chip.

Funny, I saw this a few days ago, and today my vol - button goes bad. Looks like the same problem (surface mount switch came off). The battery is huge! No wonder I never need to charge it! I'm getting ideas, the silver band around my I7 is getting really boring...

The screen on my ia7 is cracked. Does the screen on this disassembled model have any manufacturer information? Maybe I can buy my own replacement..??

I'd like to know something about the screen too... The on/off button on mine got stuck so I sent it for repairs to Cowon America covered in tons of bubblewrap to be sure it would arrive safely. They later tell me that my otherwise fine unit that I always carry in a leather case for protection, has a cracked screen. Those crooks want to charge me $70 for repairs, almost the price of a new unit, because they say the warranty doesn't cover physical damages.

Grahm,
Thank you for the slide show of the iaudio 7 player. I have repaired miniature electronics gear my entire life....I'm 61 now. Often, if people would only realize that they do not have to be a "Rocket Scientist" to repair many consumer devices themselves, they could save money, frustration and disappointment. While being proud of their cunning and technical abilities.

Many times it just takes a little patience, the correct tools and enough "Guts/bravery" to take the device apart.
Thanks again Grahm. I think articles like yours encourage people to think for themselves. Bravo!

OOPS! Sorry Reece, I forgot to thank you for the slide show.
Merry Christmas.

P.S. I like this site!
KIM.......

Hello
Very nice photos!
I have a small problem thou... I can hear the battery jumping about if i carefulle shake the player. I would like to fix this.

However, the screws holding the case together seems to be glued there. I cant get them out, and I'm afraid I might damage the player when trying.

Are they supposed to be this hard to remove, or am i just making some stupid mistake? Also, is it a "standard" screw? (What i wonder is, is it possible to get replacements?)

Thanks for the nice photos and the great site!

//Erik

Erik I am having the same problems with the screws i broke 2 screwdrivers while trying to make them move but the f***ing things are glued there .I stop`d trying and bought a U5 i recommend you do the same thing if possible.

U. Tibi

P.S. this site rocks

Where can you find a replacement battery for this thing. I am not about to spend 50 dollar for a rip off iaudio battery. Any 2.5x1 inch battery with 3.7 v lithium availible online?

The battery is down to 9 hour with 1 year. It was 50 on a single charge new.

Thanks for this guide!

My i7's screen has recently crapped out and I wanted to know how the screen is secured to the board and if there are any pitfalls in removing it without damage. I'm going to try and get one from a donor i7 or i6 and put it in mine.

Love this player, but they made the CHEAPEST, lamest plastic screen for it. Mine just broke for the SECOND time, from just wearing it in my pocket. More fragile than any phone I've ever seen or heard of, and it's really a shame that they took all the effort with the sound quality, the extended life on the battery, and then placed it in this eggshell of a casing.

Do not buy them, or if you absolutely must, ask specifically, if a cracked screen is covered by the warranty. It won't but you can still ask eh ? :D