Introduction: Yamaha Hph-200 Cable Mod

Have the cleanest looking HPH-200 around! No more visible wires!

Tools and materials you will need:

  • 20 to 28 AWG stranded wire, most thin wires will work
  • Thin (around 1mm diameter) Earbud wire, at least 50 cm, salvaged from cheap earbuds, see picture
  • Stereo Socket (I used PJ-392, click to see on eBay)
  • Soldering Iron
  • Jewelers/precision Philips and flat head screwdriver
  • 6mm drill bit and drill
  • Masking tape
  • Hot glue gun
  • Tweezers
  • Music player with AUX cable for testing

Step 1: Disassemble the Headband

Unscrew all screws on the headband and keep them somewhere safe. The headband foam and metal band can now be removed.

This next step will take time and patience. Use your small flat head screw driver to pry on the edge of the plastic cover. This will require some force but do it slowly. Once the cover is lifted enough start sliding it towards the earcup. The cover should slide off, exposing the plastic slider.

Repeat for both side of the headphones.

Step 2: Wiring the Stereo Socket

Choose which earcup to install the stereo socket, I chose the left. Dissemble the left earcup, take off the foam and unscrew.

  1. Cut and de-solder the old wire (keep the rubber strain relieve), remember which solder joint is signal and ground. The joint with the red ink (blue wire) is the signal.
  2. Prepare your earbud wire by striping the black plastic. Tin the tips of the two enamel wire inside.
  3. Wire the socket as shown in diagram. Check the data sheet for your stereo socket to determine left, right and ground. For PJ-392, orientating the long middle pin above the other two, it should have the pin configuration in the paint drawing.

Test the socket by plugging in your music player, you should hear from the left earcup.

Step 3: Wiring Through the Hinge

The earbud wire should still be around 50 cm long after you have soldered it to the stereo socket.

Feed the wire through the hinge on the the earcup.

  1. Feed it through the hole where the hinge attaches to the earcup.
  2. Pull the wire out with tweezers
  3. Route the wire along the slot in the hinge, a thinner 1mm wire will make this step easier. Push the wire into the slot with tweezers.
  4. Feed the wire through the rotating hinge.
  5. Feed the wire into the slider, route into the straight slot.

Step 4: Wiring Through the Headband

  1. Slide the slider away from the earcup as far as possible.
  2. Leave some wire slack inside the slider rail, behind the "YAMAHA" logo
  3. Tape and secure the wire onto the slider in this extended position.
  4. Tape the other end of the earbud wire to one end of the metal band.
  5. Now slide this taped end through the foam headband.
  6. Un-tape the metal band, pull the wire through the foam until the two circle dimples on slider line up with the metal band.

Step 5: Wiring to the Right Earcup

  1. After confirming you have enough earbud wire to reach the right earcup, remove the tape on the left slider, reattach the two clamping pieces with screws. The left earcup and slider should now move freely.
  2. Disassemble the right earcup, cut and desolder the wire, keep the strain relieve
  3. Now reverse the steps in Step 3, and wire the earbud wire into the through the right slider, hinge and into the right earcup.
  4. Feed the wire through the plastic ring shown in photo.
  5. Trim the earbud wire but make sure it reaches the solder pads.
  6. Strip and tin the enamel wires, solder right signal and ground to the respective pads.

Test the solder joints by plugging in a music player, both earcups should have sound, make sure to do left-right headphone test

Step 6: Finishing Up

  1. Drill a 6mm hole on the left earcup, I drilled where the old wire used to be.
  2. Install the socket, add some hot glue on the side of the socket to secure it.
  3. Plug the hole on the right earcup, I used the strain relieve.
  4. Reassemble both earcup.
  5. Reassemble the right headband clamp with screws
  6. Reverse Step 1 and re-attach the slider covers to both sides, with screws.

Enjoy your cable mod Yamaha HPH-200!