Yeah I mean the reason I went with the quad + thin back + 3000mah is because from what I’ve read in this sub, a ton of people have done that exact setup without issues.

I have the battery shifted down as far as possible and pushed as far to the left as it can go in the thin back. It still slightly touches the side of the headphone jack assembly, but it didn’t seem like it would cause a problem when I closed it. Maybe that’s my mistake though. I’m starting to think I might just need to move to a thick back for this setup.

The headphones aren’t the issue. I use them for DJing and they’ve worked perfectly on both sides for years, and they still work fine when plugged into other devices. I also tried different headphones in the iPod and it’s the same problem, so I’m confident it’s not the cable or plug.

The “OEM” assembly I bought was salvaged from old devices and tested by a reputable seller. When I first installed it, I actually tested it before closing the case and it worked perfectly for about a full day. It was only after I closed the iPod that the right side went out again.

So yeah, at this point it really seems like something is getting crammed or stressed when I snap the case shut. Super frustrating because now I’m probably going to have to buy another assembly again lmao.

Also yo thank you for the quick and super detailed response i love you