An ear-wearable device comprising: a shell shaped for wearing in an ear of a user, wherein the shell comprises a tunnel wall , the tunnel wall being a portion of the shell shaped to define a tunnel that is open-ended and passes through the ear-wearable device; two or more contact pins positioned within the shell ; the tunnel wall being shaped such that the tunnel wall defines first and second contact pin apertures through which distal ends of the contact pins pass; one or more electrical components encased within the shell , the contact pins being conductors from the one or more electrical components; wherein: the shell comprises a faceplate and a shell component , the shell component is shaped to define an interior cavity containing the one or more electrical components , the faceplate is shaped to cover an opening of the interior cavity , the faceplate is shaped to define a protrusion shaped to engage a recess defined in the shell component , the recess is defined by a floor portion of the shell component and a riser portion of the shell component, the protrusion forms a sector of a segment of the tunnel wall and the riser portion of the shell component defines a sector of the segment of the tunnel wall complementary to the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the protrusion, and the first contact pin aperture and the second contact pin aperture are defined in the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the riser portion of the shell component; and wherein the distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug when the cable plug is removably inserted into the tunnel . a shell shaped for wearing in an ear of a user, wherein the shell comprises a tunnel wall , the tunnel wall being a portion of the shell shaped to define a tunnel that is open-ended and passes through the ear-wearable device; two or more contact pins positioned within the shell ; the tunnel wall being shaped such that the tunnel wall defines first and second contact pin apertures through which distal ends of the contact pins pass; one or more electrical components encased within the shell , the contact pins being conductors from the one or more electrical components; wherein: the shell comprises a faceplate and a shell component , the shell component is shaped to define an interior cavity containing the one or more electrical components , the faceplate is shaped to cover an opening of the interior cavity , the faceplate is shaped to define a protrusion shaped to engage a recess defined in the shell component , the recess is defined by a floor portion of the shell component and a riser portion of the shell component, the protrusion forms a sector of a segment of the tunnel wall and the riser portion of the shell component defines a sector of the segment of the tunnel wall complementary to the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the protrusion, and the first contact pin aperture and the second contact pin aperture are defined in the sector of the segment of the tunnel wall formed by the riser portion of the shell component; and wherein the distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug when the cable plug is removably inserted into the tunnel . <EOS>