Every person has headphones, and they are far from alone. Purchased for different purposes, for home use or painful trips on the subway, expensive or cheap, they have one drawback - they break. The situation is familiar when the wire frays, one earphone does not work, wheezing and interference appear. The problem that has arisen can actually be eliminated. This article will tell you how to repair your headphones yourself, extending their service life.

DIY headphone repair

If the headphones fail to work, the sound disappears or changes, then do not rush to the service center. Do-it-yourself repairs are quite possible. First you need to determine why the headphones are not working. Breakage most often occurs due to the fact that the wires are bent and their conductive strands are damaged. This is possible with Nokia headphones. Then the wire must be cut, stripped and soldered. You can buy a soldering iron and tin in a store.

Prepare pliers and wire cutters for processing the headphone wire. If you want to check for damage, you will need a multimeter. You'll need to buy a plug or connector if you suspect a replacement will be needed, or if your headphones break. Glue and scissors will also come in handy. It is advisable to choose an adhesive that is elastic for the plug and quick-drying. If rustling noises appear in one of the headphones or in both, and then the sound disappears completely, this means an internal break in the wire wires.

There are other reasons why headphones don't work. For droplets of a closed acoustic type, the channel may become clogged. In such devices, the membrane and the channel are separated by a metal mesh, which can become dirty. A sign of such damage will be the absence of sound when the wire is intact. Disassemble the earphone and clean it with alcohol. If rattling occurs, this indicates damage to the membrane. Open the device and inspect it. If the membrane is damaged or dented, try straightening it. If there is dirt on it, wash it with alcohol.

How to fix headphones without a soldering iron? Without it, it will not be possible to create a reliable contact. By twisting the wires, you will make the headphones work, but without soldering, such a repair will be unreliable, and soon your favorite accessory will stop working again, which will force you to spend money on buying a new one.

Koss Porta Pro headphones are considered difficult to repair on your own, but it is possible if you follow clear instructions. How to fix an Apple earphone? It will be easier to fix problems here. Their headphones are attached with glue. Remove the gray rubber band from the headphone head or pick off the glue seam. Having found damage, cut it off, strip the damaged wire, and solder it in place.

How to disassemble headphones

To repair large headphones, you will need to use a screwdriver to remove the screws. The mid-sized headphones have well-hidden latches. “Drop” headphones, as a rule, are simply glued together. You can actually disassemble them by using a blade or lightly squeezing the headphones in a vice, in which case the entire load will fall on the gluing line.

How to fix a plug

A broken plug at the end of a headphone cable is a common problem. This results in noise, wheezing and crackling sounds appearing in the accessory, signaling that the conductive wire has broken. If your headphone plug needs repair, there are a few things to keep in mind. It can be covered with a solid plastic shell or be a rigid mold covered with a rubber cap, which is pulled together during repairs or carefully cut off.

To break the casting, you will have to use wire cutters, then you will gain access to the connector contacts. Inspect the wires, find the break point and carefully solder. Since plastic parts have to be removed, there may be empty spaces that are best filled with quick-curing epoxy glue. Wrap the structure itself with synthetic threads for greater strength. Please note that problems with the plug often occur with AKG headsets.

Connector repair

Have you already figured out how to fix the earphone, but are there problems with the connector? Returning the latter to working condition will require the presence of some parts on which it is better not to skimp. Although there are worldwide standards, how they are mounted on the board can vary significantly. A common input is 3.5 mm. It is found in most modern music players, mobile phones, laptops, and computers. If the connector breaks down, there is a chance to purchase it at specialized radio stores and replace it yourself.

Wire repair

Need a wire repair? Then find the place where the break occurred. Sometimes you can't notice it right away. In this case, you need to turn on the sound and bend the wire in different places to understand where the problem occurs. Then you need to cut off the damaged part down to the plug. After stripping the ends on the wire that will be connected to the damaged one, place a “cambrik” on the end of one of them. Having twisted and tinned, you should solder them. If the sound is restored, then move the cambric and melt it on both sides, protecting the joint. The same procedure if the wire breaks.

The cable may also be damaged near the headphones themselves. In this case, one of them will stop working or change the volume. There is a chance that both speakers will stop working at once. If this happens, then cut the wire near the case itself, open it, remember the distribution of the wires, strip it, tin it, solder it. Before closing the earphone, you should check the sound; even a slight loose connection or weak soldering can lead to noise and crackling.

With microphone for phone

All headphones are designed the same, with the only difference being that some add a microphone or volume control. The problems they may encounter are the same as with conventional devices. The wire may become damaged by bending, then you need to determine where this happened. Sometimes the wire stretches, then you need to inspect it for a decrease in thickness.

Then the wire should be cut and cleaned where it was damaged. Use a sharp blade to carefully cut around the wire. The conductive cores themselves should be removed from the varnish coating by holding them over a flame. It is recommended to place a small piece of “cambric” on the wire to subsequently create additional protection. Then you need to carefully tin and solder the conductors.

To prevent them from touching, use a little electrical tape. After this, slide the cambric and swim. If the quality of the recording produced by the microphone has deteriorated, noise or interference has appeared, this may mean that the microphone head is clogged or dust may have gotten on it. Moisten cotton wool with alcohol and carefully wipe the microphone, removing dirt. Make sure that there are no fabric fibers left on it.

Wireless

If contact is broken directly on the plug or speaker, you won’t even need to strip the wires again. After disassembling the case to gain access to the speaker, or opening the plug shell, you should solder the damaged area. If the malfunction is caused by physical damage to the speaker, which is reflected in the damage to the membrane, you will have to look for a new one and put it in the place of the failed one. Find out how much it costs and order the speaker at service centers, or search on the Internet.

Vacuum

Repairs are made by replacing housings. After carefully disassembling the device so as not to damage the membranes, prepare a new shell. Tighten the wires into knots, strip and process. Heat them with a soldering iron to remove the old varnish. If you decide to use speakers from different pairs of headphones, it is recommended to measure their impedance to avoid unpleasant differences in sound and volume. Having soldered the wires, we close the cases, then get ready to enjoy the music.

To avoid disturbing others, many people use headphones when listening to music and watching videos. Unfortunately, over time they break, and if you don’t mind throwing away the cheap ones, you don’t really want to part with your favorite rare and expensive model. Therefore, many are interested in how to fix Samsung, Sony, etc. In principle, the repair sequence is the same for all models, and if you have a soldering iron at home, do not get upset prematurely - restoring the operation of the accessory is not so difficult.

Finding the reason

Before doing this, you must first identify the location of the malfunction. Most often, sound loss is associated with:

Broken wire between the plug and the speakers;

Broken wire at the very head of the plug;

Broken speakers;

Broken volume control;

Rubbing the wires on the headphone arm.

It is unlikely that it will be possible to visually determine what caused the problems with the headphones and where the problem area is located. But still, the preliminary inspection should not be neglected. If this does not work, you need to connect the headphones to your laptop or player and turn on the music at full volume. Then, starting from the plug, gradually bend the wire along its entire length until a sound or crackling sound appears. If you manage to find the fracture site, you can safely assume that the hardest part is behind you. Otherwise, you will have to disassemble the case and check the speakers.

Repairing a break

Answering the question: “How to fix headphones yourself?”, we note that most often the cause of the malfunction lies in a broken cord. To eliminate it, you will need a soldering iron, solder, a board or metal stand, flux, and a sharp knife or blade. The question of how to repair the headphones yourself is very simple to solve in this case. First, cut out a section of several centimeters 10-20 millimeters below and above the break point, then remove the insulating layer from the cord. You need to act very carefully here, since the wires themselves are very thin and easily break off. After this, a heat-shrinkable tube is first placed on each of the contacts. When soldering, be sure to follow the color scheme. The heat shrink acts as an insulator; it protects the soldered wires from short-circuiting. You can, of course, get by with regular electrical tape, but the appearance after that will leave much to be desired. To make the connection more durable, the restored section of the cord is folded in the shape of the letter “Z”, and a bandage is made with thread around the entire fastening. The same will need to be done if the break occurs near the plug. Repairing headphone wires is best done with a multimeter.

Solving problems with speakers

How to fix headphones yourself if you hear noises and extraneous sounds? In this case, you will most likely have to disassemble the speaker housing. In over-the-head headphones, the screws are most often hidden under the soft ear cap, but small headphones are usually held on with glue, and therefore getting to the speaker is not an easy task. Here you just have to rely on your luck and superglue, which will be needed to reassemble the case. It is much worse if the sound is heard with a creaking or crackling sound. This means part of the coil has come off or the membrane has become deformed. In this case, you will need superglue, a toothpick and extreme care. The body should be connected only after the parts have completely dried.

Eliminating the volume control noise

Dust falling on the resistor layer often leads to poor contact between this layer and the slider. As a result, when adjusting the volume, extraneous sounds appear. How to fix the headphones yourself in this case? Here's how: or is applied to the surface of the resistor. After this, the contact is restored, and the crackling noise disappears.

Everyone is familiar with the unpleasant situation when, after some time, one of the headphones begins to sound bad, produces crunchy notes, or even becomes silent altogether. What's worse, this situation is equally possible for both expensive and cheap models. It all depends on the intensity of use of this audio equipment and the accuracy of the owner.

Buying new good “ears” is a cheap affair, and it’s not always worth rushing headlong to the store. You just need to not be afraid and try to fix the headphones with your own hands. And we will tell you how to do this in the article.

So, first of all, let’s highlight four main possible problems that arise:

• wire break near the plug;
• wire break near the earphone;
• channel blockage;
• membrane failure;

Plug break

One of the most common cases of headphone failure, especially if the plug is not made very secure. There are two types of plugs: 2.5″ and 3.5″, but both break with equal success.

To fix such a breakdown, you just need to go a little deeper into the theory and practice for about 20 minutes. In theory, everything is simple: let’s study the design of the plug and the purpose of the wires that are in the cord.

1) left channel;

2) right channel;

3) common channel.

Well, in addition, of course, there are three wires in the headphone cord, which are also responsible for the left, right and common channels.

Let's start the renovation

Tools required for repair:

• soldering iron and its friends (tin and rosin);
• stationery knife;
• glue;
• lighter;
• vice;
• heat shrink cambric.

a) at the first stage, we cut off the plug from the cable slightly above the place where the fracture occurred;

b) using a utility knife, remove excess plastic from the connector (as an option, buy a new connector);

c) strip the wire by approximately 2 cm (usually there are three wires in the wire that correspond to the earphone channels);

d) lottery stage, when you need to guess which wire is from which channel. This is usually done simply by trial and error: we connect a pair of wires until sound appears in one of the speakers (the wires in the pair can be changed). After finding a sound pair, for example, the right one, the remaining wire will belong to the left channel. To determine which of the two wires in the right pair is common, you just need to alternately bring each of them to the left channel: the one that will sound with the left is common. The main thing is not to forget to turn on some song in the player.

e) the penultimate stage, at which it is necessary to solder the found cores to the corresponding channels. Before soldering, it is advisable to tin the ends of the wires and channels. We solder the 3rd core to the common channel, the 1st to the left, the 2nd to the right. It will be more convenient to do this if the plug is secured in a vice. Also, do not overheat the plug to avoid melting the plastic that is inside the plug.

f) the last stage to protect the solder joint and improve the appearance:
— we make protection against wire breakage from the plug — we glue the nylon thread to the plug that was in the wire;
— we hide the soldering point and exposed wires from prying eyes. To do this, we use heat-shrinkable cambric: we cut the cambric to the required length, put it on the joint and carefully heat it over the fire. If necessary and for greater protection (ease of use), several cambrics can be used;
— remove the excess length of the cambric with a stationery knife.

This is what you should get:

Break near the earphone

In this case, the working method is absolutely identical. We cut just above the break point, disassemble the earphone cup, determine the correspondence of the channels and cable cores and carry out soldering. Problems can arise only when disassembling small eardrop-type headphones, in which the body may not be connected with latches or screws, like large monitor ones, but simply glued together. In this case, trying to disassemble the case with a knife must be more careful in order to prevent breakage.

Channel blockage

This type of malfunction can only be found with earphones. In them, the ear canal is separated from the membrane by a very thin metal mesh, which over time becomes clogged with earwax. The way out of the situation is simple - wash the mesh with alcohol, but disassembling the earphone again cannot be avoided.

Membrane damage

If your track list often contains songs with active crackling or a clear imbalance in the volume of the left and right channels, then most likely the membrane of one of the headphones is damaged. This damage can also be corrected by disassembling the earphone and mechanically straightening the membrane. This won't last long, but it will temporarily restore the pleasure of listening to music.

P.S. Well, did you repair it? If it works, enjoy it. If not, we try to do everything again and enjoy it again.

How often does it happen that recently purchased headphones begin to act up? The sound in one of them begins to be supplemented by wheezing, interference, and over time it may disappear altogether. Can the headphones be repaired or should they be taken to a service center, or maybe it’s time to buy new ones? You can try fixing them yourself first.

How to fix headphones yourself?

So, before we tell you how to repair headphones if one of them stops working, we will provide a list of the necessary tools and materials for this.

If the headphones require small screws, you will need a screwdriver of the correct size. In addition, you need a stationery knife and a lighter. You will probably need some electrical tape or epoxy glue to connect the broken wires. You can also connect parts with a soldering iron and heat shrink tubes. A multimeter will also help to find the location of the break.

So how do you fix your headphones if one isn't working? Most often, failure occurs due to a break inside the cord or simply poor build quality. To fix these problems, you don't need any special skills or knowledge. You need to first find out the exact location of the problem.

If the sound in the headphone is accompanied by noise and interference, and over time the sound in it completely disappears, you need to walk along the cord with your fingers, connect the headphones and turn on the sound. Pay special attention to the bends and the area where the wire enters the earphone. When you come across a problem area, you will hear a characteristic sound.

Depending on where the breakdown is located, your further actions may develop according to several scenarios. If the break is inside the earphone, you need to open it. If the earphone is on screws, unscrew them. Small earbud headphones are often simply glued together on the sides, so that they can be opened with the tip of a regular knife.

To determine the location of the break in an open earphone, walk along the cord while listening to the sound. When you find a spot, cut the wire below it, strip it down to the wire, and solder it to the previous connection.

Many headphones are tied in a knot inside, so before you solder the wires, tie them too. Before assembling the headphones, check the sound in them again. You can glue them back together using epoxy glue.

If the reason that one ear is not working is due to a break inside the plug, before you repair the headphones, you need to find the location of the break. Similarly, run your fingers along the wire and listen to the sound. Once you find the problem area, you will need to get to the inner wire to cut it.

First, strip the plug of rubber, find the junction of the connector and the wire, cut off the non-functional section and fasten it again using. Restore the cleaned area using epoxy glue. You can additionally wrap the plug on top with threads or put on a thick plastic sheath from another wire.

How to use a multimeter?

If you are unable to find a breakdown by probing and bending wires, use a special device. You can buy it at an electronics store or borrow it from friends.

Set up the multimeter this way: set it to test continuity, insert the black probe into the hole marked COM, and the red probe into the hole marked Ω, mA or))).

Test the wires with a multimeter: it will squeak in places where there are no breaks. You just need to apply it to the wires without winding. You need to carefully remove it in two small areas - next to the plug and next to the earphone. If the multimeter beeps near the plug, then the problem is in the headphone, and vice versa.

Are your favorite headphones out of order? If you have a little free time and a desire to save money on buying a new headset, you can repair the headphones yourself. Moreover, the breakdown is often not serious enough to immediately go to the store.

As a rule, if you have the slightest idea about working with a soldering iron, solder, wire cutters and glue, then everything should work out.

If you still have the instructions for your headphones, read them before starting work. It may indicate the sequence of actions to take in case of a malfunction similar to yours.

• cable break;
• plug malfunction;
• problems with the microphone;
• speaker failure;
• breakdowns associated with the volume control;
• malfunction of headphone arms;
• Problems with the microphone mounts (boom).

Despite their apparent simplicity, headphones can break for many reasons.

Broken wires

This is probably the most common headphone failure. To repair them, we will need the following tools:

• soldering iron with solder;
• sharp knife and wire cutters;
• heat-resistant glue and tubes;
• high strength threads.

First you need to determine exactly where the cable broke. After all, it often happens that the upper rubber ball does not have any visual evidence of a rupture. To search, you may have to connect the headphones to your phone or computer, and then carefully bend the wire until sound appears.

Having determined the place where the cable broke, cut it at a distance of two to three centimeters on each side of the likely problem point. Now you need to remove the insulating layer and “tin” the wires.

Use any of the available fluxes to prepare the cable surface for soldering. Place it on a wooden board, press it down with a heated soldering iron and make movements like when cleaning a wire from varnish, for example.

After tinning, put heat-resistant tubes on the electrical cable and solder, paying attention to the colors of the wires. Now, to improve the connection, fold them in a Z shape and secure with threads.

If desired, you can decorate the cable using heat-resistant glue. It must be applied carefully with a soldering iron. This will prevent the threads from unwinding and will make the junction area aesthetically attractive.

Problems with the plug may be due to careless use of equipment

Plug faults

In most cases, you will have to first disassemble the plug and then reassemble it. Its problems can be divided into two groups: mechanical and non-mechanical, associated with a cable break directly at the bend near the plug.

The disassembly process is similar for almost all headphones and will involve carefully cutting the plastic along the part in order to get to the wires.

If the last link of the plug breaks and it remains in the sound supply device, remove the remaining part of the part with tweezers or an awl and go to the store for a new plug, because it is no longer possible to repair it.

When turning the first link of the part around its body, you will notice that the sound becomes as if it was coming from under water, and the volume has decreased. You can repair the plug if you solder the contacts between the link and the petal so that they do not move relative to each other.

If the cable breaks at the base of the part, you will need to cut this wire 2-3 cm above the point of breakage and solder it back, taking into account the color scheme of the electrical cords included in the plug. If it is difficult to determine exactly which wire to solder where, use an ammeter to measure the resistance between the cords.

Microphone problems

As a rule, electret capsule microphones with amplifiers are installed in headsets. This means that during repairs you need to carefully monitor the polarity, you cannot clean their holes mechanically and do not allow a long-term increase in temperature. The latter means that you need to solder quickly, but at the same time very carefully.

To ensure the highest quality soldering process, use organic flux. And you can check whether the microphone is working without special equipment if you replace it with another one or connect it to another device that probably works.

Otherwise, you will need an oscilloscope, an active working speaker system, or a good knowledge of electrophysics to assemble an inverting amplifier circuit yourself.

Speaker failure

The speaker winding burns out if the power supplied to it is exceeded. The severity of the breakdown is determined using an ammeter or multimeter. The resistance of the windings of working speakers will be almost the same (plus or minus about 10%) and varies in the range of 16–100 ohms.

Wheezing in headphones is usually caused by problems with the membrane or winding

If the speaker produces sound, but wheezing is mixed in with it, this indicates a problem with the winding or membrane. The winding becomes unstuck from the membrane due to a strong impact, displacement of the magnet, or exceeding the maximum permissible power. It happens that the coil moves away from the membrane due to mechanical damage.

For repairs you will need superglue, a toothpick (sharp match) and accuracy. Be careful, because after gluing it takes time for the parts to take the correct position.

Problems with the volume control

The main reason for the failure of the volume control is the accumulation of a large amount of dust on the resistive layer, which leads to poor contact with the slider, which is activated by the control. The malfunction manifests itself as a crackling sound or a complete loss of signal in the headset.

To eliminate damage, you need to apply graphite lubricant or technical petroleum jelly to the surface of the resistive layer.

Repairing volume control adjustment (video)

Malfunctions of the headphone arms or microphone boom

A broken earpiece is fairly easy to repair using a thin piece of metal, small screws, epoxy glue and a drill.

In the case of repairing a microphone boom, you need to understand that it is difficult to recreate the full functionality, but fixing it in a stationary position will not be difficult. You will need a wire with a diameter of 0.7–0.8 mm, a drill and heat-resistant glue. Please note that when gluing, you can wet your hands with water, and then you will be able to give the new part the desired shape.

Since the store sells a huge number of headphones from various manufacturers, you may encounter breakdowns not described above. The main thing is not to panic, but to think about what you can do with your own hands in this situation.