Headphone doesn't work: diagnosis of failure, repair methods

Melomaniacs often face the problem of failure of one earphone. Mechanical damage is more often inherent in Chinese products. Branded headphones can simply fail due to mismatched drivers. In any case, do not immediately throw away the headset. Now we will look at how to fix headphones, if one does not work, and methods of identifying the cause of the breakdown.

Determining the cause of the breakage

Headphones are quite a fragile headset. Do not immediately proceed to disassembly if one speaker fails. To repair the product it is necessary to identify the cause of the breakdown.

Unless the headset has been exposed to water, fire or a hard blow, there are three places to look for the problem:

• Inconsistent drivers on your laptop, computer and other electronic device. This may cause one or two speakers to not work, or the sound to be distorted.
• Broken wire. It happens in places of frequent kinks or from a sharp jerk. In cheap Chinese models, low-quality wire "crumbles" for no good reason.
• There is a crack on the diaphragm of the speaker. This cause is considered the first, if the headphones were dropped on the floor or hit with a hard object.

When the cause of the breakage is identified, proceed to fix it.

Recommendations: If water got on the headphones or inside the connector of the cell phone , How to repair headphones by yourself if one stops working , Repair of headphones with their own hands

Working with drivers

Every electronic device has a sound driver installed. If the software is outdated, "lost" or damaged by user intervention, the sound does not come into the headphone. An easy way to identify driver problems is to have another working device on hand. You have connected working headphones to your laptop, but there is no sound. Then you need to reinstall the sound driver:

In the case of a computer or laptop first check the native sound driver of the installed Windows system - Realtek. In the settings of the program a lot of sliders, moving which change the volume, sound inputs and outputs, channels. There are situations when, for unknown reasons, one of the sliders switches by itself. The result is the operation of one channel or no sound output at all. The problem is solved by moving the sliders until the sound appears in your headphones.

The second problem is related to the incorrect operation of the native headphone drivers. Over time, the software becomes obsolete and requires updating. The driver can simply "lose". To solve the problem, go to the website of the headset manufacturer. From the list, choose a model driver, and then download the software installation file. The uninitiated should know that the sound driver is the only one, and it is responsible for the operation of both headphones, not each speaker separately. The downloaded driver is installed on the system as an ordinary program. Reboot the system to activate it.

If the driver restore is not successful, it means that the headphones are mechanically damaged.

Broken wire

A common cause of a single headphone failure is a broken wire. The copper core "crumbles" in places of frequent kinks. This area must be found and repaired.

Locating the break

Breakage of the wire is searched for by mechanical means. Connect the headset plug to your cell phone, computer or MP3 player. Turn on the music file and begin to thoroughly crumple the wire from the plug to each headphone with your fingers. When a crackle or sound appears in the non-functioning speaker, mark the area on the wire with a marker. This is where the breakage is located.

When diagnosing the wire, carefully probe the input of the cable plug, to the speakers, and the jumper splice. This is where the wire is most often kinked and a break occurs.

Soldering the wire: instructions with a step-by-step photo

If the wire is sprinkled directly near the headphone or plug, then the problem area is simply cut off. To solder the cable, you will have to get to the speaker. The headphone is disassembled and the cut off piece with the sprinkled wire is unsoldered from its contacts. The end of the cable is stripped, the copper core is tinned with tin and flux, and then soldered to the contacts of the speaker. Similar actions are performed with the plug.

The method of disassembly of the headphone depends on its design:

• Branded headset is connected with screws, often hidden under decorative covers. They just need to be found and unscrewed.
• Computer headsets are usually assembled on snaps.
• The body of the headphones droplet glued. The joint is cut with a knife. The body can be pressed lightly with a pair of pliers. Pressing it will break the bonding area.

It is better to buy a collapsible plug. The old element can only be removed from the rubber shell. After soldering the wires, the plug is glued into the rubber socket with epoxy resin.

If the damaged section was in the middle of the wire, the place of the break is cut with a knife and proceed to restore the cable:

First, the upper insulation, the braid, is stripped away. Release three cores 3-5 cm long, so that it was convenient to perform soldering. Copper wire also has a coating of different colors. It is impossible to mix them up. All three cores should be soldered in accordance with the colors, but first remove 5 mm of insulation on the ends. The stripped wire ends are heated with a soldering iron and tinned with tin and flux.

When all wire ends are ready for soldering, a heat shrink tube is put on the cable. Similar tubes, only with a smaller diameter, are slipped onto each core. The wires are laid on a hard board and soldered according to the colors of the insulation with a soldering iron.

A heat shrink tube is put over the soldering point of each core, heated with a lighter, and then crimped with fingers. To prevent the connection from breaking, it is reinforced by a strong thread, tying together all three wires.

Now all that is left is to put on the beauty. A thick heat shrink tube put on the cable is pushed over the bandage with a tough thread, heated with a lighter and crimped.

The wire is repaired. You can plug in the headphones and enjoy the music.

The problem with the membrane

Lack of sound in the headphone can be caused by a breach in the membrane. This element in the form of a thin plate stands on the speaker. There are two options for the malfunction:

1. Deformation of the membrane. The element is carefully bent out with your fingers, giving the original shape.

2. The diaphragm breaks. There are no repair options. Buy a new speaker or the whole headphones.

The membrane may produce a bad sound if the earphone mesh is clogged with earwax. Such a problem is common with a closed design of headset - earplugs. Dirt is washed out with alcohol, but the headphone will have to disassemble so that the dirty liquid does not get on the speaker.

It is reasonable to reanimate the branded headset. Disposable Chinese headphones are rarely repairable. If the wire is sprinkled or the speaker failed, it is easier to buy a new product.

Topicals: 5 best Bluetooth in-ear headphones , If water got on the headphones or inside the cell phone jack , How to protect headphones from mechanical damage and strengthen the wire , How to turn off "Headphone mode" on your iPhone , How to properly adjust the headphone microphone on your Windows PC , How to tune the equalizer (for headphones) , How to solder headphones plug , How to Reconnect Broken Earphone Wires , No sound in headphones