I just bought some new headphones and the cord insulation is relatively stiff. So the cord, which was folded on itself a dozen times in the packaging, is all bendy. Unless I position the cord just right or have it stretched taut, it tends to get in my way (obstructing my typing or vision). A minor problem, sure. But has anyone else had this problem and found a good way to straighten it out?
Generally, they straighten themselves out over time. Trying to stretch it into shape only serves to shorten its useful life by needlessly stressing the conductors, which are usally pretty fragile. If you must, let it hang from something by the plug end with only the weight of the 'phones pulling on it when you’re not using it, for a while. To hang it, you can make a little hook out of a paper clip or something.
It might help to lay it in the sun for a bit before trying to straighten it per Q.E.D.'s suggestion, just to get it warmed up a bit. You don’t have to lay it outside, just find a spot on the floor somewhere that the sun shines on for an hour or so in the afternoon.
If you hold it straight while you apply heat you can make it very nice. I often wrap cords around the largest cooking pot that will fit into our oven and then leave it on warm (or the lowest setting) for an hour or so, and maybe even turn it off and leave it in there overnight still wrapped. I use paper clips or wire or some such to hold it in place (not adhesive tape). With headphones I probably wouldn’t do that because the heat might change something delicate, but you could certainly wrap the cord around a pot and fill it with water heated in a kettle, which wouldn’t warm the headphones themselves.
I always try to remember to mentally charge for my time when I consider what the product cost if it needs this kind of remediation, or label removal and the like.
lay it out on the dashboard of a car parked in the sun.
Thanks for the suggestions, folks.
I tried hanging it last night like Q.E.D. and KTK said: I left it in the afternoon sun, hanging overnight, but it didn’t really take. I’m guessing that it maybe needs a higher temperature, or for a longer time. That cord insulation must be some heavy-duty material. Apparently they don’t make them like this much anymore - I’m not sure whether to be glad of the quality or mildly annoyed at the non-exhaustive QA testing. Oh well.
Actually, I would tend to think the opposite way: if it’s all that stiff and unwilling to be re-shaped, that suggests pretty low-quality materials to me, but IANAElectrician.
I’ve invented a way to straighten electric cord from appliances, e.g. hair dryer, that works for me. Take a piece of newspaper and fold it in half several times. (Yes, I know that old cannard about 7 folds) Fold it around 5 times, until you have a little, thick, paper “book.” Holding the book in one hand, place the cord into the folds of the book with just the end of the cord sticking out. Pull the cord through the book slowly while squeezing with as much pressure as possible - without totally stopping the flow of the cord. I’ve used this method, if you can understand it, to straighten twisted cord and folded cord. You may have to run it through a couple of times, of course. But this has worked for me. Maybe it will for you. xo, C.
No, don’t do that. You can easily soften plastic components to the point where you’re left with a twisted wreck. Ask me how I know this.
Ok. How do you know this?