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Most headphones are made to be light, sound good and designed to break at the plug.
These steps can be used for most all models of headphones. For very inexpensive headphones the wires will be too fine (small) to work with
For this Instructable I'm fixing the plug on Sony headphones.
What you'll need:
Wash your hands. Oil on your skin is the #1 reason wires handled do not solder successfully.
You'll need the ability to solder.
A soldering iron capable of over 700 degrees Farenheit is helpful, but a normal one works with extra care.
Wire Strippers, wire cutters, long nose pliers, electrical tape, scissors to cut the tape (not pictured) or use the wire cutters. (OH -A pair of wire strippers can replace all three cutting - stripping-plier tools)
If you have heat shrink ability be sure to remember to put the heat shrink tubing (about 6" of 1/4" or 3/8" over your headset cord at first chance. This way it will be there when you need it at the end.
These steps can be used for most all models of headphones. For very inexpensive headphones the wires will be too fine (small) to work with
For this Instructable I'm fixing the plug on Sony headphones.
What you'll need:
Wash your hands. Oil on your skin is the #1 reason wires handled do not solder successfully.
You'll need the ability to solder.
A soldering iron capable of over 700 degrees Farenheit is helpful, but a normal one works with extra care.
Wire Strippers, wire cutters, long nose pliers, electrical tape, scissors to cut the tape (not pictured) or use the wire cutters. (OH -A pair of wire strippers can replace all three cutting - stripping-plier tools)
If you have heat shrink ability be sure to remember to put the heat shrink tubing (about 6" of 1/4" or 3/8" over your headset cord at first chance. This way it will be there when you need it at the end.
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Signing UpStep 11. Select the new jack for your headphones
After years of frustration I can wholheartedly recommend a new mini plug with the cable already attached in a molded plug. Working on the wires on the other end will be enough work.
These connectors come as just one plug with wires attached and soldered ("tinned") on the ends for a bit MORE money than getting one of these. A two ended 3.5 mm plug cable is a couple dollars. AND you can now repair TWO headsets.
These connectors come as just one plug with wires attached and soldered ("tinned") on the ends for a bit MORE money than getting one of these. A two ended 3.5 mm plug cable is a couple dollars. AND you can now repair TWO headsets.
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You've got a couple things going on here.
The plug on the end of the cable is designed for stereo, with a different sound channel going into each side of your headphones. For this reason, when the plug is half plugged into the Walkman you'll only be connecting to one channel and you'll get some sounds and miss some sounds - depending on the recording you'll be listening to .
The walkman being dropped changes alot. If it is a machine that plays tapes, the tape head could have been knocked out of alignment with the tape. This will make it play back softer because it is not in line with the tape, and miss he sounds completely that the head is no longer passing over if that part of the head is not over the tape anymore. If it is a walkman playing CD's a similar misalignment can happen with shock. Usually with a CD it is an all-or-nothng affair if the head ( or main laser) is out of place. If it still plays, it is the headphone jack that is bent or wacky.
Since your problem started with the headphone needing to be in a particular position in the headphone jack to listen, it sounds like the headphone jack in the Walkman was the start of the trouble.
Check the headphones in another player of some kind to check the headphone performance. If you have only one side of the headphones working and the jack and cable look good it is possible that the 'driver' the little speaker in your headphones is failing - and no one sells spares of those. If the headphones themselves are failing, a new set is in order. If the headphones are good and the walkman is wacky time to check it with a different playback . If it does it with that also, then it is the playback mechanism. Likely you're near a trip to a professional for repair, or if you're hooked on a particular playback machine check out the second hand stores. You could get one working for less than the repair .
Some thoughts, hope these help
eTECHTim
I own the heat shrink kit and all but forgot to slip the heat shrink over the cable before the final soldering. A good lesson to all and compliments to you for catching how to make it better and stronger
etechtim.com
The 3.5 mm jack that I used has 3 wires: yellow, white, red. I'm assuming this is a composite wire and the yellow is video so I connected it to the 3rd bronze wire. I'm not certain this is the right assumption. Could someone explain?
There is not a strong consensus among manufacturers anymore about color code. Often Red is right channel +, with a green wire being left channel + and the remaining braid is the ground for both. Unfortunately, if there is white and yellow you've experienced the challenge. The test is always the final answer so if you find the channels reversed than that is your answer. More wire is from China these days and they sometimes do not go by the USA or even Japanese traditions of electronics color schemes.
Best to you,
eTechtim.com
You're almost there.
In the Instructable I get solder to soak into the larger cables wth a soldering iron, (called 'tinning the wires' ) then I drag a knife blade over the tiny headset wires before they are wrapped around the main wires. Then, what makes this work, is heating with the soldering iron to get through the tiny clear coating on those amazingly small wires on the headset. Then, connection is made and the headset can be used again.
I hope this helps
etechtim
Tim
Thanks for reminding me that it can be done.