They are quite beefy switches, in keeping with the AR's tanklike construction. I surmise what happened is that the dual-XLR-to-RCA adapter and requisite four XLR connectors were enough mass to get ahold of the poor switch and yank it sideways. I'm not sure what was the boneheaded move by me that caused that part of the headphone cable to make contact with the switch, but such matters are academic at this point. I have to get the AR repaired. It's the center of my headphone/speaker rig. I have used it every day since I got in late 2008, and I'm gonna miss it while it's gone.