? on wires to use for headphone repair

[magnet]

I a few sets of headphones that unfortunately had their wires chewed through by new kittens. I'm having difficulty trying to find replacement wires that are thicker than what I have now, which are like ear bud wires.

I don't know what the name of the wire ask for. I'd like to mimick the number of wires I have now, ie. black and white.

Where would I go and what would I ask for?

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Hi and welcome to Electronics Point

Headphone cable is not a commodity retail item. No doubt there is cable somewhere that's suitable for what you want, but you may have trouble finding it, especially in small quantities. I suggest you try specialist audio companies - start by Googling audio cables, then email them. They might be willing to sell you some raw cable. Alternatively, go into some hi-fi shops and find headphones with suitable cables, and see if they will order new cables for you as replacement parts. Don't expect either of these methods to be cheap though. Good luck!

 

[magnet]

Hi and welcome to Electronics Point

Headphone cable is not a commodity retail item. No doubt there is cable somewhere that's suitable for what you want, but you may have trouble finding it, especially in small quantities. I suggest you try specialist audio companies - start by Googling audio cables, then email them. They might be willing to sell you some raw cable. Alternatively, go into some hi-fi shops and find headphones with suitable cables, and see if they will order new cables for you as replacement parts. Don't expect either of these methods to be cheap though. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. I have a box of old/new but not used wires and cables of all kinds. Could I use any cable/wire that has 2 wires or 3 wires once I splice off the ends?

 

[(*steve*)]

The problem will be strain relief and the flexibility of the wires in your replacement cable.

If you can conquer the first and put up with some compromise on the second, then sure, electrically, it probably won't make a huge difference.

 

[Gryd3]

If your headphones do not use the type that split under the chin... ie the cable goes to the left earphone only...
You could grab a 3.5mm patch cord, and chop it in half to make yourself two replacement cables
...but earphones require one wire for each bud, so that will make things more complicated to source.

 

[donkey]

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/221309420537?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE
I would find a nice length of this stuff and cut it down to lengths I want. soldering is only on the speakers then or you could get some heatshrink and splice the wires together.

 

[magnet]

If your headphones do not use the type that split under the chin... ie the cable goes to the left earphone only...
You could grab a 3.5mm patch cord, and chop it in half to make yourself two replacement cables
...but earphones require one wire for each bud, so that will make things more complicated to source.

I was thinking of getting a few 3.5mm ends and wiring them with the 4 wires, 2 wires for each headphone.. I have plenty of speaker wire and hope that works.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

It depends what level of performance and reliability you want. I'm not talking about OFC or any other buzzwords, but there's a big difference in qualtiy between cheap ear bud cables and proper quality headphone cables. A lot of noise can be conducted into headphones when cables bump against things, unless they are extremely flexible, and headphone cables are also very often stressed by being pulled, bent, sat on, etc.

If you want cables that will perform well and last the distance, don't use speaker wire and don't buy cheap. Otherwise... well, even telephone wire will work!

Edit: Strain reliefs are also very important, as Steve said. And heatshrink isn't good because it creates strain at the points where the wires enter and leave it, unless you add extra strain relief. Then it starts to look like a Frankenstein's monster!

 

[magnet]

It depends what level of performance and reliability you want. I'm not talking about OFC or any other buzzwords, but there's a big difference in qualtiy between cheap ear bud cables and proper quality headphone cables. A lot of noise can be conducted into headphones when cables bump against things, unless they are extremely flexible, and headphone cables are also very often stressed by being pulled, bent, sat on, etc.

If you want cables that will perform well and last the distance, don't use speaker wire and don't buy cheap. Otherwise... well, even telephone wire will work!

Edit: Strain reliefs are also very important, as Steve said. And heatshrink isn't good because it creates strain at the points where the wires enter and leave it, unless you add extra strain relief. Then it starts to look like a Frankenstein's monster!

I was looking at Donkey's reply and this link:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/221309420537?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107

Part of the problem I'm having is the finding the headphone cables. Would Donkey's recommendation work?

 

[donkey]

its worked everytime I have done it (5 headphones so far)
you have to know your wires though
mono headphones are 2 wires
stereo 3. the 3 wires are ground, left and right, getting them wrong means one of the following will happen, neither work (put ground somewhere weird) one works (ground is going to only one speaker) left is right and right is left ( wires around wrong way) or both the same (left and right have joined somewhere)

 

[magnet]

its worked everytime I have done it (5 headphones so far)
you have to know your wires though
mono headphones are 2 wires
stereo 3. the 3 wires are ground, left and right, getting them wrong means one of the following will happen, neither work (put ground somewhere weird) one works (ground is going to only one speaker) left is right and right is left ( wires around wrong way) or both the same (left and right have joined somewhere)

Thanks for the info. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the wires from?

 

[KJ6EAD]

Try searching for litz wire. Many headphones are wired with it and companies that make litz wire also often make other specialty wire such as miniature coax and high flexibility multiconductor cables but good luck buying small quantities.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Yeah, as I said in post 8.

Any 3-conductor or 4-conductor wire with a stereo 3.5 mm jack plug on it will "work", but there are good reasons why headphone manufacturers use high-quality, highly flexible, high strength wire.

 

[donkey]

got mine from $2 store. used the 3metre extender and cut it down