Headphone Plug Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

                          30 - 45 minutes

Sections

3.5mm plug
7 steps

Flags

BackHeadphone
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              3.5mm plug

Unscrew the casing from your replacement plug.

Unscrew the casing from your replacement plug.

1024

Step 2

Using a multimeter (set in ohms to test resistance), test each terminal on the base of the plug to see which terminal corresponds to which speaker (left or right). You’ll know they correspond when a value other than 1 appears on the multimeter.
Image 3 shows which part of the plug corresponds to each cable:
Left
Right
Common (or ground)
My results showed that the terminal with the larger hole corresponded to the right speaker, while the terminal with the smaller hole corresponded to the left speaker. Your results may differ.

Using a multimeter (set in ohms to test resistance), test each terminal on the base of the plug to see which terminal corresponds to which speaker (left or right). You’ll know they correspond when a value other than 1 appears on the multimeter.

Image 3 shows which part of the plug corresponds to each cable:

Left

Right

Common (or ground)

My results showed that the terminal with the larger hole corresponded to the right speaker, while the terminal with the smaller hole corresponded to the left speaker. Your results may differ.

Step 3

Using your wire cutter, remove the broken 3.5mm plug from the wire.

Using your wire cutter, remove the broken 3.5mm plug from the wire.

Step 4

Use your wire stripper to expose about 2cm of the the wire.
You must also remove the coating from each smaller, individual wire by using a wire stripper, fine sandpaper, or something of that sort.
If you attempt to solder the wires without removing the coating, the connection most likely will not work.

Use your wire stripper to expose about 2cm of the the wire.

You must also remove the coating from each smaller, individual wire by using a wire stripper, fine sandpaper, or something of that sort.

If you attempt to solder the wires without removing the coating, the connection most likely will not work.

Step 5

Slide the casing (from Step 1) onto the wire.
You’ll have to screw this back onto the plug at the end, so be sure it’s facing the correct way.

Slide the casing (from Step 1) onto the wire.

You’ll have to screw this back onto the plug at the end, so be sure it’s facing the correct way.

Step 6

Helping hands may be helpful when soldering. If you have never soldered before, check out this soldering technique guide.
Slide the red wire through the hole of the terminal that corresponds to the right speaker. Wrap the wire around the terminal a few times, then solder it in place.
Repeat this step for the terminal that corresponds to the left speaker. Note that the left audio wire is often white or green.
Finally, solder the common/ground wire (often copper colored) and any multicolored wires through the remaining hole.
The pictures show a blue wire and several yellow wires. The blue wire was soldered with the ground wire, and the yellow wires turned out simply to be nylon (not actual wires).

Helping hands may be helpful when soldering. If you have never soldered before, check out this soldering technique guide.

Slide the red wire through the hole of the terminal that corresponds to the right speaker. Wrap the wire around the terminal a few times, then solder it in place.

Repeat this step for the terminal that corresponds to the left speaker. Note that the left audio wire is often white or green.

Finally, solder the common/ground wire (often copper colored) and any multicolored wires through the remaining hole.

The pictures show a blue wire and several yellow wires. The blue wire was soldered with the ground wire, and the yellow wires turned out simply to be nylon (not actual wires).

Step 7

To finish, screw the casing back onto the plug.
Be sure the two terminals (or connecting wires) do not touch each other; if they touch, the fix will not work properly.

To finish, screw the casing back onto the plug.

Be sure the two terminals (or connecting wires) do not touch each other; if they touch, the fix will not work properly.

If the fix did not work, make sure the wires are in direct contact with the terminals. Also make sure that they are not in contact with each other. If done correctly, your trusty pair of earphones (or headphones) can be trusted for quite a while longer!

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      21 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 2 other contributors

                    Andrew Yoder

Member since: 04/09/2015

951 Reputation

                                      1 Guide authored                  



                       Badges:
                       10







                                                        +7 more badges

Team

                       Cal Poly, Team 28-4, Green Spring 2015                        

                                                  Member of Cal Poly, Team 28-4, Green Spring 2015 



                    CPSU-GREEN-S15S28G4                     


                                            6 Members                     


                                            12 Guides authored

Salonee - Apr 16, 2015

The first sentence in your introduction can maybe be changed to: “Often times one earpiece of the earphones stop working.”

Your description is well-written and thoroughly describes the process. I would just add pictures specifically pointing to the different parts you mention in your steps.

Otherwise it’s all good! :)

Marcel Alani - Nov 19, 2016

Is there a special fix for earphones with a control unit embedded?

Introduction#

What you need#

Team#

Introduction

What you need

Team