Fix Your Stuff Community Store

How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable

Introduction

Tired of replacing old headphone sets? Here’s a step-by-step guide on repairing frayed headphone cables in an environmentally efficient and affordable way. This guide will require soldering skills.

What you need

  1. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable, How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 1, image 1 of 2 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable, How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 1, image 2 of 2

    • Cut above the frayed portion of the cable using wire cutters.

    • Using the wire cutters, strip away approximately one inch of wire coating.

    • Use caution to avoid cutting too far into the wire.

    Edit

  2. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 2, image 1 of 2 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 2, image 2 of 2

    • After stripping the wire, four wires should be exposed. The wires should be three different colors.

    • Red: Right channel

    • Gold/copper: Ground

    • Blue/green: Left channel

    • Twist the two ground wires together.

    Edit

  3. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 3, image 1 of 2 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 3, image 2 of 2

    • Unscrew the plug housing.

    • Thread the wire through the plug housing.

    Edit

  5. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 4, image 1 of 1

    • Remove the enamel from the red and blue wires with a wire stripper.

    Edit

  6. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 5, image 1 of 1

    • With a soldering iron, apply a small amount of solder to the end of each wire.

    • This is especially important for the twisted ground wires; the solder should hold them together.

    Edit

  7. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 6, image 1 of 3 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 6, image 2 of 3 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 6, image 3 of 3

    • Thread the wires through each hole and wrap them back over.

    • See the third picture for a diagram of where each wire goes.

    • Next, twist each wire with itself to secure it to the lead. This can be seen in the second picture.

    Edit

  8. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 7, image 1 of 2 How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 7, image 2 of 2

    • Solder over each lead's hole, connecting the wire to the lead.

    • Your solder joints should completely cover the hole and surround the wire.

    • After each wire is connected, use a drop of hot glue to secure the wires and prevent them from touching each other.

    Edit

  9. How to Repair a Frayed Headphone Cable: step 8, image 1 of 1

    • Screw the housing back onto the jack and test your work.

    • If the sound turns on and off this is a connection error. To fix it, look at your solder joints and make sure the wires are fully connected to the leads. If not, apply more solder to the joints, covering the wire.

    Edit
Finish Line

36 other people completed this guide.

Author

with 12 other contributors

Tyler

Member since: 02/24/15

836 Reputation

1 Guide authored

Badges: 9

+6 more badges

Team

Cal Poly, Team 23-2, Green Winter 2015 Member of Cal Poly, Team 23-2, Green Winter 2015

CPSU-GREEN-W15S23G2

4 Members

16 Guides authored

2 Comments

To me, the more difficult part in this job, is solder.... Now, If you are not sure, with where solder each wire, try with a tester in the continuity mode, and test between the each part of the tip and the three holes. Greetings!

Anderson Barreto - Reply

great instruction - any for repair of cable with microphone ? and even a flat cable ?

LiveVest - Reply

Add Comment

View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 15

Past 7 Days: 140

Past 30 Days: 647

All Time: 112,634