Do-it-yourself making simple headphones and headset with microphone

Cheap headphones fail quickly, and a branded headset is expensive. If you have a few broken sets lying around in your closet, you can consider your find lucky. From the individual parts can be assembled quite a good headset. First, the parts are tested for performance, then proceed to completing the set. Now we will consider in detail how to make headphones and what is needed for this.

The major steps of headset assembly

There are four stages in the headset assembly process:

• checking the integrity of the cable and the functionality of the speakers with a multimeter;
• Soldering wire to the plug;
• soldering of the bifurcated wires to the speakers;
• installation of the parts inside the case.

If it is decided to assemble a headset for a cell phone, another item is added to the assembly process - the soldering of the microphone. All parts are taken from old, broken headphones or bought in a store. The second option is not profitable, as the costs will exceed the cost of a new headset, and there is no point in assembling it yourself.

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Parts Required for Assembly

What parts are needed can be seen from the old headphones. Let's look at each assembly separately.

The plug to plug into the socket of an electronic device

Headphones are connected to a cell phone, player or computer with a plug. Its diameter corresponds to the size of the connector 3.5 mm. Often there is another name for the plug - mini-jack. The part is made in the form of a rod of set elements. These are contacts that are separated by dielectric washers. The number of contacts depends on the type of headset:

• 2 pins has a monaural headset plug;
• 3 contacts on the plug of stereo headphones;
• 4 pins in a stereo headset with a microphone.

It is important to correctly match the plug by the number of contacts, otherwise one of the elements of the headset may be left unconnected.

 

 

The cable

You need a multicore cable for the headphones. The length is determined by its own discretion. The shape of the wire will do any - round or flat. It is important that the strands correspond to the number of headset parts. For simple headphones is suitable cable with 3-4 wires. To assemble a headset with a microphone requires a wire with 4-5 wires. To understand their connection is not difficult. Each core is covered with a different color insulation. Usually, the yellow wire is used for grounding, and wires with other color coating are considered signal.

Speakers

The sound depends on the quality of the speakers. According to the type of radiation, the part is either low-frequency or high-frequency. Also the speakers are divided into dome and simple. The last option is most often used in inexpensive headphones. Simple speakers do not have much power and sensitivity, but they are reliable.

It is difficult to buy a separate part. It is easier to take the speakers from a broken headset. It is important to consider their size. The speakers must fit inside the body of the future headphones.

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Microphone

When making a headset for a cell phone you will need a microphone. It is best bitten off with wire cutters, along with a piece of wire from old headphones. The microphone is located in a sealed plastic box. In addition there may be a call button or volume control. To box not to cut, on the input and output side leave a piece of wire length of 3-5 cm. The main cable of the headset is soldered to these segments. The color of the cores should match.

Disassembling an old headset

To get all the necessary parts disassemble the old headphones. Act carefully, otherwise you can damage the parts. Large headphones have a lot of hidden fasteners in the form of screws and snaps. Most of them are hidden under the padding. The ear cushion also comes on snaps, just put on the rim of the cup or glued. The body of the vacuum ear plugs will only have to be cut.

The old wire from the speakers is soldered with a soldering iron. At the inlet to the case from frequent kinks integrity of the strands is broken. If the cable will be used for a new headset, the 5 cm long ends are bitten off, and then re-soldered to the strands of the speaker terminals.

The same action is performed with the plug. If the mini-jack is indestructible, the casing is cut with a knife, and a new one is made from the cap of a ballpoint pen.

 

 

Diagnosing Parts for Functionality

When reassembling the headphones from old parts, they are checked for function. It is better not to ignore the procedure, because on the assembled headset it will be more difficult to identify a non-functioning element. Diagnostics is performed with a multimeter. First, they check the current flow through all wires of the cable. On the plug it is useful to check the closure of the contacts. If the dielectric ring is damaged, the headphones will not work.

The speakers are tested in the same way as the wire. The styli of the multimeter are leaned against the contacts. If the speaker works, the instrument will beep.

Assembling new headphones

When all the parts are selected and checked with a multimeter for functionality, proceed to the assembly of the headset:

• Soldering begins with the plug. On the back of the mini-jack, the longest contact is reserved for the grounding wire. The signal wires of the right and left channels are connected to the side contacts. If the headset has a microphone, the plug is used with four contacts to connect another signal wire.
• After soldering the plug, the wire with the contacts is tested with a tester. If there is a signal, the cap can be put on. In the homemade design, the cap of the ballpoint pen is lubricated with epoxy and the back of the mini-jack is inserted.
• The branching strands on the second end of the cable are pulled through the input holes of the headphone housing. The insulation is stripped off the ends of the wire, the copper strands are tinned, and then soldered to the contacts of the speakers.
• At this stage, check the performance of the headset. The plug is connected to a cell phone, which plays a music file. If both channels work, the speakers are immersed inside the headphone body.
• The headset is almost complete, but there is still a microphone left. Just below the beginning of the bifurcation, the cable is cut. The wire braid is stripped to free the strands. The same action with stripping is performed on the ends of the cable protruding from the microphone box. Put the heat shrink tubing on all the wires and solder them, matching the color of the insulation. Tubing is pushed over the soldering point, and then heated with a lighter.
• Extended the wire looks ugly. If you try hard, the microphone box will be cut with a knife along the solder line. Pieces of cable unsoldered from the board with contacts, and in their place soldered wire strands of new headphones. After testing the functionality of the halves of the microphone box glued.

Assembly of the headset is over, you can enjoy the music.

If all parts are used workable, homemade headphones in quality will turn out to be no worse than a factory-made headset.

 

 

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