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Headphone woes
So it seems every year or so, I run into the issue where suddenly my headphones only want to play audio out of one ear. Currently I’m using Sennheiser hd 280s and it just happened, but it’s happened with other pairs too. I don’t know if it’s something I’m doing or what but I’m pretty fed up. So I guesss my question is, is there a proper, best practice way to store and handle headphones to avoid this? And also, does anyone know if this is something I might be able to fix myself on the Sennheisers? Any thoughts or advice welcome.
Comments
Are you sure it's actually the headphones, and not the socket, plug, or cable? Does pushing the plug sideways or back and forth (while plugged in) help and make the channel come back? Otherwise, it's probably a broken wire in the cable... does it happen with every device you plug them into?
In the past, it has been a slightly bent plug. This time I’m pretty sure it’s the headphones, it happens with every device. I just wish I knew how exactly this is getting broken, so I could avoid it
Could also be corrosion on the plug / in the socket. But if no amount of wiggling and jerking brings the channel back even for a brief second, then I'm guessing the wiring is broken or the wire has detached on one side.
@SevenSystems thanks. I feel it’s likely become detached. How do I avoid this in the future? Should I be rolling the cords up in a specific way after each use or what? I just have no idea. It must be some incorrect way I am treating the headphones
Also which app is yours? You make one right?
@db909, well, nowadays most headphone plugs are sealed and it's actually very hard to pull the wires off, so you must be an expert at it!
Do you pull on the wires a lot (by accident of course)? Also try to avoid bending it very sharply, this may break the (very fine and brittle) wires inside the cable.
Yes, I make Xequence and a few other apps... but this forum is a great place in general to talk about music-related things, so it's nice entertainment when not so much concentration is needed on the job!
Damn now that I think about it, I think the way I sit and sometimes place the phone or iPad, it might be bending it pretty sharp near the actual jack. Anyways, thanks for the help! Gonna give Xequence a go, see what’s up.
Left-field comment - the good news is if the headphone jack does go bust on an Apple device (and not the headphones themselves), there's always the option to use the lightning jack adapter as if the device were never built with one.
I tend to just keep my connections clean (both jacks and plugs) to minimise these kind of issues.
If you rotate the plug and the sound 'comes back' it's dirt or in worst case some oxidation.
Some times the 'cables' can break (near the plug) that's why I try to buy head-phones with detachable chords so it's easy to get a replacement and stay away from headphones that have 'fixed' cables.
Both my ATH-M50x's and Sennheiser HD598's come with detachable cables and it's easy to find a replacement cable if or when needed.
When My iPad or iPhone have issues with the 3.5mm jack I just use some canned air to blow them clean and the problem is solved
How are you wrapping/coiling/storing the cords?
I‘ve got that often too with my headphones. Latest was 2 times with the AKG 702 and before with the Shure SRH-840.
Now i use the Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro (my favorite so far).
Normally i prefer headphones where i can buy new cable....but i replaced them for the AKG 702 to explore that it wasn‘t the exchangable cable, doh‘.
Most things are crap these days and won‘t last long.
I hope the DT 990 will last a bit longer because i really love them.
I've got a few 'spare cables' for my ATH-M50x's but they are quite sturdy
The good thing here is that it's 'standard' ATH spare parts so they work with all their models.
But yeah build-quality has gone down quite a bit since it's 'in'. Instead of making durable products they make them as cheap as possible and force people to buy new stuff all the time.
(It's called 'creating demand' and 'intentional market stimulation').
Don;t wrap the cables around the cans when storing them is one thing I find help with this.
I have pair of DT-770 that lived through 12 years of intense abuse, still works. Best value for money I ever had, but maybe I‘ve been lucky 🙃
I think you probably have identified your issue in a later post, thinking about how you handle the cable while in use. Generally for portable devices, cable failure is going to happen very near the strain relief of the male 1/8” connector.
Headphone cables have 3 wire leads; two thin sleeved cables for left and right surrounded by a braided common that also serves as shielding, connected to the tip ring sleeve of the actual 1/8” plug. The two sleeved cables can be as low as 24-28 gauge wire, along the lines of 6 twisted human hairs.
And the better manufacturers, like Sennheiser, are going to use higher grade copper - which is a very fragile metal to start with.
So your observation about careful coiling is spot on - but needs to extend to when it is in use as well. Bending any cable at a hard 90degrees is going force one set of leads to stretch further than the other resulting in the exact issue you are experiencing, basically breaking the left or right lead.
With respect to @SevenSystems, replacing the jack is not that big a deal. A sharp knife and patience plus a three dollar part is all that’s required.
The link there being just the first that popped up of many on YouTube (and as with all things internet I’d look at several).
Point being with a bit of effort, and presuming from your statements that issue is coming from mishandling near the connector, there is zero reason to buy new headphones.
And should you go this way, once you see how fragile the actual wire is, it will forever inform you as to how to treat it.
One other option I’ll throw out, depending on how hard your habit may be to break - pick up a headphone extension cable, preferably with a right angle male connector, and always use this between your device and headphones, it adds wire to the mess, but much easier to replace a six dollar extension that a hundred plus set of headphones.
Whether it’s a guitar or mic or Ethernet or headphone cable, or the power cord to your desk lamp or iPad, the conductivity of copper outweighs its fragility. But that should always be kept in mind in its handling.
Hope that helps and best of luck!
I find that not coiling the cable is generally better than coiling but if you do, coil it loose.
I reckon it is just common sense, basically the less you stress the cable on either side the better. I love cans with replaceable cable as it just pops out under tension. Also straight over L shaped mini jack as they in theory just unplug rather than being stressed at a funny angle.
Filling the space around the wire connections with epoxy (first test if everything works as expected) has worked miracles for me in the past. Of course it makes it difficult to reuse the parts. Also put everything that goes behind the jack on the cable before stripping the wires makes life a lot easier 😜
@wigglelights said exactly what I do. I use a headphone extension cable to protect the connection between headphones & device.
My favorite headphones are Sony MDR-7506's, which come with a screw on ⅛" to ¼" adapter. I always use the bigger ¼" adapter into the extension cable that terminates on ¼" plug (of course you could get ⅛" version if you want.)
Although another reason I use the larger connection is so that at the headphone into adapter connection I can wrap a piece of tape (athletic tape, etc. not something overly sticky like duct tape) around the two to ensure the connection is going to be tight and wear on the plug will be reduced.
I know some people don't like extension cables, saying they're unwieldy and get all tangled up but I would much rather have a headphone cable that's too long than too short. And before anyone gets considerations of "oh, longer cable means lower sound quality" I say you're worrying too much.
From my experience, this set I've now - which are really a no name- I've just been careful with. Cause of the length, it's easy for them to snag on something. So treat them with kid gloves and fingers crossed they should last.
Ive resigned myself to replacing my headphones every year because of this problem. I just take out a 2-year insurance policy on every pair of Sony 7506’s I buy, which means I’ve basically got a subscription to headphones for $20 a year after the initial purchase.
In the past, I've never had them snag and was very careful to take care of them, but they'd still wear out (I use them a LOT). My latest short was caused by dropping my ipad on its head with the phones plugged in. Bent the jack, but luckily it didn't break off.
Over under the cable and coil it loosely. And never pull the headphones out by the cable, pull the plug itself. I’ve had my 7506’s for 15 years now and no issues (besides replacing the ear pads). I have the akg q701 also and I’m really careful with those but love the detachable cable. I have a case for them that works well and the cables get coiled carefully.
Users saying that they have 15 year old headphones that are fine etc should know that headphone cable has changed in that time and gotten a lot thinner, while this doesn't affect the cable being bent along its length, it does mean that you have to be more careful at the connector end, this is not just headphone cables by the way but all cables, even lightning cables have an issue with splitting at the connector.
Unfortunately the cable that is currently used is near impossible to repair because of its size and lacquer coating.
I know a lot of engineers who wrap a small piece of gaff tape around the top of the connector casing and the cable itself to prevent bending.