Steampunked Vintage Headphones
Intro: Steampunked Vintage Headphones
Hi everybody
Here I am again after the summer holidays with a very cheap and easy project to create some very stylish steampunked vintage headphones.
Some days ago I saw a very special offer of some old vintage headphones at "ebay". The costs of only 5 Euros are really low for such original vintage headphones of the fifties and sixties. But that has not been the main reason to get them.
In the offer you can read that their inner-resistance is about 5-Ohm. The inner-resistance of today used modern head- an earphones is about 36-Ohm (thanks to you Horatius Steam for this information;-)).
So the idea was born to listen to the music of an mp3-player with the magnetic metal membrane technology of old times and its typical tinny sound.
Only four steps are neccessary for this project:
First-step: We lift the inner-resistance from five to thirty six Ohm.
Second-step: We change from Mono to Stereo by replacing the old cord to a new one.
Third-step: We create the new steampunk cover made of brass.
Fourth-step: Connect all parts together.
At the end you can listen to this really freaky metal vintage sound of your steampunk music.
Stay tuned and have fun with it. I am sure you will enjoy it ;-))
Yours Aeon Junophor
STEP 1: First Step: Lift Up the Inner Resistance of the Vintage Headphone
Take care that every electrical part will be insulated again when you replace it to avoid short cuts and it is very important that the new soldered resistor does not touch the metal membrane otherwise it does not work.
STEP 2: Second Step: Changing the Cord
The original headphone cord ist prepared to work in mono. But for using the new headphones with an mp3 player you need a stereo cord. I took an audio adaptor cord from cinch to 3.5 mm stereojack. First you have to cut of the cinch plugs an pull out carefully the two inner wires. You will see that the wires got he same color as the plugs and you will find a small shining copper wire too. Please note that the red covered wire provides the right side of your headphones and other wire will provide the left side. This wire will be either white or black colored.
After this you pull the new cord to all holes of the new brass covering and the vintage headphone shell. Then tie a knot as you can see at the old cord. Then you solder the insulated wire to one free part of the resistor and the copper wire (drilled together) directly to the other contact of the spool. And that is it. Then you replace the spool again in its shell and fix it with the small screw, put the distance ring on it place the membrane and screw the front plate.
STEP 3: Third-step: Creating the New Cover Made of Brass
screw them together. Cover all brass parts with tape. Then fix the to metal parts by filling epoxy resin into the small open ring. Take care of fresh air when working with epoxy resin and use rubber gloves to protect your health!!!
After the hardening time discover the new brass covering parts and enamel them with Zapon Laquer (best outside!)
Next you drill two new holes for the headphone holder fork with 2 mm in diameter and mark the left and right part .
STEP 4: Fourth-step: Connect All Parts Together
When you listen to your music with these steampunked vintage headphones it surely will remind you to the times of Thomas A. Edison because of their tinny oldtime sound, but this is what a real steampunk adores....;-))) Really great!!
STEP 5: More Varieties
So you can use an new pair of earphones or another pair of cheap headphones as you can see at the following pictures to put them into the new brass shells. To cover them you can use my most beloved fiber material or some piece of plywood or whatever you like. I took a stylish brass knob from clothing and put it in the middle as you can see.
So let your ideas rise up and thanks for following;-))))
Yours Aeon Junophor
8 Comments
Luxurio 11 years ago
Aeon Junophor 11 years ago
Thanks for your comment. The sound is very old fashioned and believe me the work can be easily done;-))
It is very nice to meeet you here;-))))
Yours Aeon Junophor
Luxurio 11 years ago
thank you for your bright welcome! ;)
I will keep my eyes on your work.
Sincerely,
Luxurio
longwinters 11 years ago
Certainly they would be a stylish addition to any convict heading to the electric chair.
Sure is weird I just found some antique airplane head phones they look alot alike, I don't know though, they look like they would attract lightning.
BrefelanDesigns 11 years ago
I think it's those screw bases sticking out at ear level. makes me think of the old robot "ears".
Chemicus 11 years ago
Capital isn't that important in business. Experience isn't that important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas. (Harvey Firestone)
Congratulations
by the way: is there any light bulp remaining in your house? ;-)
Winged Fist 11 years ago
I refurbished a pair of 1920s headphones in a similar fashion recently, and haven't gotten around to posting an instructable yet. (Mine are very similar to the style posted by Brass Eyes and I also got them on ebay very cheap).
I too changed the wire to make them stereo, but it never occurred to me to change the resistor. My plan is to build a mini pocket amp for my almost 90 year old headphones... As soon as I finish steampunking my VW Beetle;-)
5 stars!
Aeon Junophor 11 years ago
Thanks for your voting;-)))
I was looking at you beetle project and I suppose it will be great. In the late eighties I was driving a pink!!! beetle built in 1976. It was great fun to drive with it and I still love this car;-))))))))))))))))
Greetings Aeon Junophor