Image on left is from 4 days ago, but the pimple was slowly forming over around 2 weeks.

The goop was sticky, not oily. Earphones are Panasonic RP-TCM130.

I was not able to find an explanation.
Something to increase cable lifespan, lubrication, rubber disintegrating, sweat and earwax that somehow got into the cable, dielectric grease, SCP-1407, no clear answer.

At first I thought the wires just somehow twisted. Nope.

    • Orbituary@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      You would be incorrect. If the power source shorts, it would heat the wires sufficiently.

      • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        4 months ago

        And how much power do you think the DAC in a phone is going to output?

        The built in DAC in a phone can barely drive my headphones, let alone melt a silicone cable. They typically output less than a watt. On a good day. Rubbers melting point is 365c and 1 watt isn’t gonna do that.

        • u/lukmly013 💾 (lemmy.sdf.org)@lemmy.sdf.orgOP
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          4 months ago

          They typically output less than a watt.

          Sounds optimistic. Checking a few USB to 3.5mm dongles, they seem to be around 25mW max at 32Ohms. Not sure how much that would change with short circuit, but I guess not much more.

        • UsernameHere@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          Have you verified the specs on OPs headphones?

          Maybe I missed it but I don’t see where OP said this happened while connected to a phone.

          • fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            4 months ago

            They’re earbuds. You’re going to using them with a phone, maybe a laptop, or even in a pinch maybe a desktop. None of those output enough power to melt through a rubber cable without severely destroying themselves and never working again. OP would be posting “my phone exploded and I’m deaf now” not about the cable having a pimple.

            Even my dedicated amp, a Shiit Magni outputs 6 watts with both channels combined, and ain’t nobody connecting shitty earbuds to an amp. The rest of the cable is going to sink away the heat from 6 watts before the rubber could get hot enough to melt.