Problem with headphone wire coating - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: FlashEF
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 06:11:17 pm
content: I was repairing a reasonably expensive pair of headphones, which wire was damaged. Seems like an easy fix, cut it and reconnect properly. The problem is that this particular wire is coated with some kind resign that doesn't burn clean. Normally with such wires I would just burn whatever is on them over a candle, clean it with some flux, and then solder. This time, after burning the isolating coating off I found that I am completely unable to solder the exposed copper. Whatever I do, it doesn't wet or stick. I tried burning it several times, cleaning it in flux designed for old components, cleaning it with acetone... nothing works. It would be really bad if I had to search for an identical diameter cable to replace the whole thing. Any ideas how to get it clean?Picture of the wire wrapped together in pairs. It doesn't conduct in this state, too dirty:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Flash_EF/HeadphoneWires.jpg

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 06:16:08 pm
content: It's horrible stuff. Sennheiser, by any chance? Or perhaps they're all as bad as each other?I've managed temporary fixes on this type of wire before by scraping the enamel very gently off the wire using a sharp scalpel, but it's very hard to do without breaking all the copper conductors. The wire becomes very fragile next to the solder joint too.Last time this happened to me I chickened out and just bought a replacement cable from the manufacturer.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 06:35:11 pm
content: They all use pretty much the same enamel.. I replaced the plug on one of my Sennheiser sets lately.I find it solders well enough if you turn the temperature up.

author: w2aew
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 06:57:58 pm
content: You may find that burning it with a candle flame resulted in oxidizing the copper beyond the ability to solder. You may try holding the coated wire inside of a molten blob of solder at the end of your iron. Feed fresh solder in to keep up the flux content. By doing this, you may be able to boil away the coating and tin the wire before it oxidizes by prevent oxygen from reaching the bare copper. Of course, some of these wires are coated with an enamel or resin that just won't boil off of be able to be heat stripped like this. In these cases, very careful mechanical scraping as suggested above my work, but is very tough to do.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 07:36:56 pm
content: Tinsel wire, actually a copper foil wrapped around a polyamide or polyester fibre to give it strength and flexibility. Only way to solder them is to turn up the iron to high (300C or more) like W2AEW ( Liked the show today, thumbs up) and do the solder blob thing. Tip is to use a thick cardboard piece to hold the blob, and toast the wire while the blob is burning it's way through the thick cardboard. You only need to tin the last 5mm of the wire, then you can treat it as normal. This though makes the end very stiff, and not too flexible.Often this wire is attached by using tiny little crimp connectors, though I have never seen the crimps for sale. They are really popular in telephone handsets and line cords, though there they are often connected with a RJ11 connector and a crimping tool.

author: krish2487
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 08:04:19 pm
content: actually you can do the job by dipping it in paint stripperBUT be very carefulI saw a small scale ferrite transformer manufacturing plant (about 30 employees) use small amounts of paint strippers to remove the enamel off the enamel coated single strand copper conductorJust used a small amount of paint stripper, dipped the end of the wire coated with enamel, waited a couple of seconds. then dunked the same end into a solder pot to tin and then terminated the wire ends on bobbins.Just my 2 cents.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 08:45:59 pm
content: One way I found useful is to wrap 1000 grit sandpaper around an eraser and rub the wire until enamel is gone.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2012, 09:43:04 pm
content: Quote from: w2aew on October 15, 2012, 06:57:58 pmQuote from: SeanB on October 15, 2012, 07:36:56 pmThis^Just sit it in a ball of solder for a while on high heat, feeding in more solder for flux, should eventually tin.

author: FlashEF
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 10:41:37 am
content: You guys are greatThank you a lot for all the advice.I happen to have some old paint remover, most likely made in Soviet Russia, so it should do. I know it is probably filled with nasty stuff(hope it doesn't dissolve the copper). Plus, as I somewhat like my lungs I'll first try to just heat it up with solder.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 11:02:24 am
content: If you have varnish that can't be removed by hot solder or ordinary thinners, formic acid will generally do the trick. It is reasonably non-toxic in small quantities, but obviously use eye and skin protection, and don't breath the concentrated vapors, it is like turbocharged vinegar.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 12:28:23 pm
content: aww, don't diss the sennheiser'sMy pair of PC360's are the best headphones ever

author: ptricks
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 01:38:05 pm
content: Use a cigarette lighter to burn the ends, wipe clean, then lots of flux, works for me.

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 02:58:06 pm
content: I just bought a pair of HiFiMan HE-400's and god love 'em, they have detachable (aka replacable cables). The only downside it the damn connector they chose... it looks very similar to an SMA connector, but it is custom.At any rate, if you're going to be cutting off and replacing the whole cable on your cans, I'd recommend going this route and just modding them to accept phono or RCA plugs or something along those lines. Very convenient

author: FlashEF
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 08:09:13 pm
content: Problem solved. Solution thatw2aewgave worked perfectly!http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/Flash_EF/ProblemSolved.jpgIt was so easy, knowing what to do, that it took me ~20 min to do the complete repair... as contrasted to the 2h pointless struggle I had yesterday.What I did:0. Use a wide chisel tip1. Set my iron to 400 C2. Put a lot of well-flowing SMD type flux on a peace of beaverboard (similar to dense cardboard)3. Make sure I heat the wire up being completely covered in flux to allow no copper oxidation or burning of the coating4. Start adding tin and continue pressing hard on the wireIt is a shame I repaired such headphones by burning this stuff off. This way is SO MUCH cleaner and easier.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2012, 09:04:42 pm
content: You find that wire is common in mobile phone earbuds as well, where it has the same problems.

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2012, 09:28:38 pm
content: i had to set my station to max to solder 1 of those headphone wires back to the volume control. i dont know what kind of coating they use on the tiny solid copper wire it had, the shielding was some kind of fabric+even thinner copper strands it was the easier soldering job but the solid wire was a pain in the ass. never again

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 19, 2012, 09:37:44 pm
content: Sometimes the wire is aluminum and not copper as well being covered in enamel or wound round a synthetic fiber thread.

author: Thor-Arne
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 19, 2012, 10:07:03 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on October 19, 2012, 09:37:44 pmIn this case, one has co use a crimp tool? aluminum and solder don't agree with each other particularly well.