RCA to 3.5 Mm TRS Cable

by Mik615

55K4213

Intro: RCA to 3.5 Mm TRS Cable

This is a custom tutorial for making your own RCA (aux cable) to TRS end (the same on on your headphone jack).

Why make this? - you can hook up your mp3 or laptop to your surround sound system.

Okay! so let's get started

Why not just buy it in store? - You are always free to do so, but in some regions it is hard to find stores that will sell these types of things, especially if you live in a less urban area. Some stores also can charge a fairly large amount of money for such an easy project. Plus this is really fun and you can feel proud you did something.

STEP 1: Get a Regular RCA to RCA Cable

An aux cable works well too, just the yellow end should be unused since it is for video, and we're dealing with audio.

The next thing you will need is a 3.5 mm jack. I got this by trimming the end off my broken headphones with scissors.

STEP 2: Cut Off the End of One Side of the Cable

STEP 3: Strip the Wire Off the Large Protective Casing

You can do this with a wire stripper, but scissors works perfectly well.

Now once it is stripped you should have two wires, a white and red one along with some copper wire hanging out from each

STEP 4: Separate the Copper Wire From the Other Wires

STEP 5: Strip the Red and Black Wire So That It Is Exposed

This should expose the copper wire from inside the colored wires

STEP 6: Sodering

If you have a special TRS casing then continue with this step. If you do not, then do the next step only.

In the picture above is a 3.5 mm jack. What you must do if you have this jack is the solder the white wire to the center of the jack, the red to the outer more larger side, and join the two other copper wires to each other and solder it to the longest sleeve of the jack. Refer to the picture for more help.

STEP 7: If You Have No Special Casing

If you have two center rings: (4 section total)

In the picture there is 2 center rings

You need to have access to a solder to do these steps

The smallest piece will be the white wire, the slightly larger one will be the red wire

The next two will be the white copper, then the largest circumference, the red copper

If you have one center ring: (3 section total)

Combine the two copper wires together

The combined copper wires will be soldered onto the smallest circumference, then the white wire on the medium sized one and then the red wire on the largest circumference

STEP 8: Fix It Up!

After you have finished the soldering process and you have checked if it is working, us electric tape so you can tape up the wires and none of the wires are touching each other. Then make it as stable and solid as you can make it.

STEP 9: Enjoy Your New Wire

If you have any question or comments please let me know by commenting on this instructable.

Share this with all of your friends if they are interested in these types of things.

You are free to share this information to anyone you want, I have no copyright.

10 Comments

dbuie301 3 years ago

My powered subwoofer cable is RCA and only has 2 wires. 1 red & 1 white. I want to connect this to my 3.5 TRS cable which has 3 wires. 1 red, 1 green & 1 black. What wires go where? Thanks.

Neeter1 3 years ago

Hey, nice instructions! I notice the 3.5mm jack you used has 3 bands, which I understand to be: mic, left spkr, right spare. Like for smartphone headset or gaming headset where u talk! But if I just used the old-fashioned 2 banded 3.5mm jack, then there would only be 2 inner wires to solder? Have I got that right?

Neeter1 3 years ago

Rt spkr, left spkr. Not spare.

Mik615 9 years ago

Right cable is usually red

Left cable can very(whte, green blue)

Other is copper wire

philip42 10 years ago

These cables are available from the "Dollar Tree" stores (at least in the United States) for $1.

white_phox 10 years ago

in the united kingdom, most pound/bargain shops sell these, and they are better quality than a handmade one...

keglarek 10 years ago

Wouldn't it be more structurally sound to splice the wires from the headphone jack? or does it get more complicated?

Mik615 10 years ago

Yes it would, but many times the color wiring are different for each headphones. In order to see which color is which, you would need to see the soldered parts, which is usually hard to see. The regular wiring colors are copper to ground, red to right and blue to left. My headphones; for example, had 4 wires and copper wire, so its sometimes can get difficult. If someone could correct me if in wrong in some parts that would be great :)