How hard is it to replace headphones jack plug?

[swee'pea99]

I like to use proper headphones with my mp3 player, so I use a converter to adapt the big plug to a 3.5mm one. The problem is it's so crude and ungainly that the connections end up dodgy, and the uneven sound is really starting to get on my tit. I was wondering how easy/hard it would be to snip the lead and fit something like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MP-012L-3...l_Cables_Leads_Connectors&hash=item20df62a3b8. Has anyone tried it?

 

[surfdude]

nealy blood well impossible unless you have a small Taiwanese child to do it for you

 

[winjim]

It depends on your proficiency with a soldering iron, but essentially easy peasy.

 

[swee'pea99]

It depends on your proficiency with a soldering iron, but essentially easy peasy.

Well, seeing as I'm fresh out of Taiwanese kids...does a regular soldering iron cut it? I thought the actual leads might be really thin?

 

[accountantpete]

I presume that connector has a cover that comes off - if so it should be easy to solder.

Cut the existing jack off with approx 2" of lead left attached to it.

That will expose 3 leads inside the cable casing.

Use the leads into the jack to work out which is which. The jack has 3 sections - tip ( Left channel) middle (Right) and base (Ground).

So all you need do is connect the right cables to the new jack.

Use a small soldering iron with decent solder with a flux in the core - you heat the objects (wire and connector) and then apply the solder directly - not to the soldering iron.

 

[winjim]

Well, seeing as I'm fresh out of Taiwanese kids...does a regular soldering iron cut it? I thought the actual leads might be really thin?

They will be . A thin tip for your iron and plenty of patience should see you right. Just make sure to get tip, ring and sleeve in the right place or your stereo will be all back to front and out of phase.

 

[Davos87]

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Ian A]

Depends on the cables. The more professional headphones have nice bits of metal in the wire to solder. I've not soldered for over ten years but was proficient for years. At the time the metal in the cheaper domestic headphones tend to be about the thickness of a sewing thread with cheap nylon or similar running down the casing to add strength/volume. Still doable but the filler material melts and a thin bit of metal is a real pain to work on. Saying that it's still very doable. I just like to moan .

 

[GrasB]

As accountantpete said. You'll want
* decent quality 3.5 trs jack
* decent soldering iron with a fine tip (I'd want something in the 50w range with some temp control)
* length of electricians, low acid, solder - cheap plumbers stuff will cause problems
* some low-acid solder flux
* sharp controllable blade for stripping the wires
* method of criming the strain relief tabs on the jack

It's not a hard job in terms of soldering of you've had any experience., the most filly bit will be trimming the cable as this will probably be very tight fit rubberised cable. The most important bit is to heat the metal you're soldering NOT the solder. Melting the solder with the iron will result in a fragile link which will develop into a dry joint.

 

[swee'pea99]

As accountantpete said. You'll want
* decent quality 3.5 trs jack
* decent soldering iron with a fine tip (I'd want something in the 50w range with some temp control)
* length of electricians, low acid, solder - cheap plumbers stuff will cause problems
* some low-acid solder flux
* sharp controllable blade for stripping the wires
* method of criming the strain relief tabs on the jack

It's not a hard job in terms of soldering of you've had any experience., the most filly bit will be trimming the cable as this will probably be very tight fit rubberised cable. The most important bit is to heat the metal you're soldering NOT the solder. Melting the solder with the iron will result in a fragile link which will develop into a dry joint.

Blimey. Thanks for that. But TBH, from where I'm sitting, that looks like 'too hard for you, mate'! Time to think again, I think. Thanks all.

 

[sheddy]

Unless you are familiar with modern cable construction, I think that it would be far less hassle to replace the headphones.

 

[Cheddar George]

I looked at repairing some for mini cheddar but the wire was like gossamer, i couldn't even strip back the insulation properly.

 

[snorri]

Ian A* is spot on.
The type of wiring will be critical, making the job easy or quite frustrating.

Edit
*Also sheddy and Cheddar George.
Note to self, why don't you learn to type faster?

 

[GrasB]

Blimey. Thanks for that. But TBH, from where I'm sitting, that looks like 'too hard for you, mate'! Time to think again, I think. Thanks all.

Not hard with a bit of experience & the right kit, what I've listed are basic soldering equipment/consumables with the exception of the trs jack. Using a DIY store 15w toy plumbers soldering iron with the tip the side of a smallish domestic flat head screwdriver is going to make the whole job a lot harder.

 

[MontyVeda]

Blimey. Thanks for that. But TBH, from where I'm sitting, that looks like 'too hard for you, mate'! Time to think again, I think. Thanks all.

buy a pair of these... you won't complain about the sound quality, in fact your hi-fi speakers will sound cr@p in comparison, and the cable is replaceable if need be