Why is it that you cannot fix your headphones cable just by putting the cut pieces together again, like you do with a normal cable?
You probably can “fix” the cable, but it’s often not worth the trouble.
A lot, but not all, of the headphones used on PCs don’t even use shielded cable. For these all that required is some time, skill and a good soldering iron and some heat shrink tubing.
If shielded cable is used it becomes more difficult, but not impossible, as you must cut the cable in such a way that the center conductor can be soldered and insulated and still be able to reconnect the shielding braid.
If the damage is near the end connected to the PC, just get a new connector from Radio Shack and install it.
Sometimes the cable is a thin flat strand of copper wrapped around a core of stranded rayon or somesuch.
This makes it difficult to solder the two ends together.
Usually you either throw the headphones away or if they are expensive enough not to be disposable then you send off for another lead and replace it complete.
Headphone cables are made up of three or four smaller wires bundled together.
You can splice the cables by striping the outer cable jacket and the smaller wires insulation carefully off.
The wires are color coded, match colors and twist or solder together.
Wrap each wire joint in electrical tape and then wrap tape around all the taped wire joints to keep the wires from being pulled apart.
If you did every thing correctly then your headphones should work.
Peace
LIONsob
You’re right casdave, I had not seen any of that type of wire in quite some time. It used to be used on telephone operator headset cords as well as other places where extra flexability was important.
Do any current headsets still use it? I looked at three sets (differnt brands)here at work before answering and they all had a pair of parallel conductors.
You will find that most of the Sony headsets use a man-made fibre core and they are a bitch to repair.
Some manufacturers use copper strands that have a thin coating of lacquer on them which gets rid of the pvc insulation and the flex is thinner, these too can be a pain to solder.
There is no secret technology here, just join the like coloured wires but generally I would replace the flex.
I don’t know how much repairmen pay themselves in the US but it would take me at least half an hour in time and you would bill for 3/4 hour for all the faffing about.
Sony replacement leads come complete with the slide-on connectors and represent maybe 10 minutes work and anyone could do it.
This thread is a duplicate of another thread, so since this one has fewer replies, I’ll close it and direct folks over there. germanpp, if you hit “submit”, the post shows up, even if you immediately hit “stop” or close the window or whatever. If you have something you want to add after submitting, the best way to do it is to reply to the thread after it shows up. Oh, and welcome the the Straight Dope!