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.
Makes me think of that shitty grippy rubber material on cheap mice that becomes gooey with time. I would treat those as euclid until further testing
Euclid??? The greek mathematician?
Oh great, all the sound is gonna leak out before it gets to your ears.
High resistance in a wire inside the sheath would generate more heat at that point, causing the plastic sheath to melt/bubble. So if the wire inside the sheath got damaged, pinched or some of the strands of wire were broken.
If you put the yolk into a cup of soil, you should have baby headphones within 2-3 weeks.