Wired headphones are the best way to experience the highest audio quality. But the wires make a hassle and require untangling every time. Because of such frequent tangling, they tend to easily break. Without wire connectivity, the headphones are not usable.
Instead of buying a new one, if you know how to fix a broken headphone cable, you can use them for some more time and enjoy a high-quality listening experience.
How to fix a broken headphone cable?
A headphone cable can get damaged anywhere along the length of it. Generally, they tend to break in the middle or near the headphone jack. Let us understand how to fix both scenarios professionally.
Fixing the wires anywhere along the length
Since the wires are very tender and thin, they can either break or get cut completely. If the wires are just broken,
- Find the area where the wires are broken and remove the sleeve in that particular area completely.
- Usually, it is just the sleeve that got cut. This can be fixed very easily with the help of an electrical tape or with a heat shrinking tube.
- Remove the sleeve pieces stuck on the wire and check whether the wires are broken. If not, using an electrical tape, cover the area fully.
- Make sure that there are no dust, debris, or oil on the wires. This will ensure firm sticking of the tape over the wire and stays for a longer period.
- Also, instead of using an electrical tape, you can use heat tubes which shrink over the exposed area when heat is applied.
If the wires are cut completely,
- Cut off the ends of the wire on both the sides to remove damaged wires. Using a wire stripper, remove an inch of the sleeve to expose the wires from both the ends.
- You will find wires colored in red, green and black. Sometimes, the colors might be different too. But on both the ends you will have same-colored wires.
- Now, using a wire stripper, remove the wire sleeve one by one and twist it with the same-colored wire on the other end. That is connect red wire with the red and so on.
- After connecting the wires, now using a soldering machine, solder the connected wires to make sure they don’t unwind or get broken again.
- Now, slide heat tubes on the exposed wires and using a blower, shrink the tubes to mend the cables completely.
Fixing the wires near the jack
- If the wires are broken near the jack, cut off the jack and the damaged wires. Now remove an inch of the sleeve and expose the wires.
- Buy a new headphone jack, remove the covering and solder the exposed wires to the end of the jack.
- Now fix the outer covering at the end of the jack and enjoy unlimited audio listening experience.
Also Read:
- How Bluetooth headphone noise cancellation works?
- How much Headphone use is too much?
- How to use Headphone Amp with Audio Interface?
Why headphone cables are breaking?
Every material has a limit to which it can function properly. Some type of wear and tear happens whether used or unused. Here are some common reasons for wire breakage in headphones:
Frequent Winding of Cords
People tend to roll the wires of the headphones or earphones frequently to fit into their pockets or bags. This causes fatigue in the wires and sleeves. Eventually, this causes damage to the sleeve and destroys the integrity of the wire.
Letting the wire dangle
Instead of conforming to the wire at rest, people just dangle the wires around the neck and body. Sometimes, the wires get stuck to the bag or other places and get cut off. This is another popular reason for wire damage.
Forgetting their presence
Many people forget that they are wearing headphones and suddenly get up or perform an unconscious motion which will make a sudden impact on the wires. Especially if you have connected it to the PC and if you forget their presence, they will get damaged when you move away from the PC.
Knotting the wires
When the wires are not wound properly, they start to get tangled and form knots. These knots stress the wires and eventually create a weak point. So, when there is a sudden force on the wire, they break easily at the weak point.
How do you prevent headphone cables from breaking?
We can prevent headphone cables from breaking by using them properly. Cables are often thin and fragile, which means they can break easily. But there are some ways to prevent this from happening. Here we go
Store your headphones properly
Never put your headphones unwound. Wound them neatly and preserve them in their respective cases. If you don’t have a case, buy a unique case for your headphones.
Don’t Wind them tight
While putting the headphones in the case, don’t wind the wires very tightly. Make sure you don’t bend the cables completely. Just do a partial bend to the wires and store them in the case.
Use a magnetic sleeve
There are magnetic sleeves available to keep the wiring hassle-free and wind them in a proper fashion. You can make use of these sleeves to easily manage the cables.
Be Conscious of Headphones
When you are using the headphones, don’t forget their presence. Try to be mindful of wearing them and always remove them before moving around.
What type of headphone wire material is good?
Wired headphones are one of the most popular types of headphones. They are usually made from either rubber or plastic. Rubber ones are more durable but plastic ones are lighter and more comfortable to wear.
Plastic wired headphones
Plastic wired headphones are made with a variety of plastics, usually polycarbonate, PVC, ABS. They have a lot of advantages over rubber wired headphones because they are lighter and cheaper to produce. However, they break easier than rubber wired headphones because they don’t have the same durability.
Rubber wired headphones
Rubber wired headphones on the other hand can’t be broken easily even if you try to do so on purpose. They also provide better sound quality than plastic wired headphones due to their better build quality which is why they cost more than plastic ones.
Conclusion
Frequent damages in the headphone wires are common and it is due to the fragile nature of the wires. If you properly take care of them, you can easily avoid such damages. Also, when they are broken, you can mend the cables using this guide easily.
