Increase the life of your earphones--How To

Here's a great way to increase, maybe even double, the life of your stereo earphones. Did you know that most headphones wear out in one place? Today, I'll show you how to reinforce that spot in a way that is easy, durable and very professional looking.
You'll need a few things:
1.Heat-shrink tubing (available at electronics stores)
2.Cellophane tape
3. A cutting tool (sharp knife, razor blade)
4. Heat source (lighter or matches)
Addenda: Some folks have already broken/shorted the wire. Solution? Replace the plug. If the headphones are high-end, you might find a stereo repair shop that will do it for you. But if you want to try it yourself, here's a very good video how-to. I don't know the guy in the video, but he seems to know his stuff:
• How to Repair or Fix H...

[@Len11999]

So I might actually be able to get 2 weeks instead of 1 week?! O.O

[@DeathGodPain96]

Len11999 😂😂 I know what you mean ....the struggle

[@CEOofSleep]

do u use your earphones as floss?

[@eatsleepdie1682]

Len11999 lol i know that feeling

[@grospilon2180]

@@CEOofSleep bruh 😂😂🤦‍♂️

[@FarhanKhan-zq6wk]

😭

[@saladbowl85]

This guy is like the Bob Ross of tech video

[@dragerx001]

that 100% what i was thinking XD

[@Spineshot25]

Your voice reminds me of Walter White, just very intelligent sounding, without sounding arrogant.

[@Braindazzled]

Thanks! Wait till I post my cooking videos! ;^P

[@dobbyspotty823]

thats walter before he got cancer

[@hanslanges1924]

How dare you challange planned obsolescence.

[@dsecroetkt]

"In an hour or two it will be quite stiff and quite hard, but still flexible." That's what she said.

[@Braindazzled]

If she's willing to wait an hour or two, you're still ahead of the game!

[@meiznz]

Wait... this meme existed 5 years ago???? WHAT?

[@eiffe]

@@meiznz It's been in use since 1992

[@fizzy360wolf]

@@eiffe I think it was longer than that

[@Braindazzled]

I am somewhat sad to report that my headphones finally broke after about 3 1/2 years! Eventually, the plastic insulation on the wires became stiff and brittle and it began to break in a few places. Ultimately a break hear one of the earpieces stopped them from working. Still, I'd had three other pairs fo the same headphones, and none lasted more than about 8 months before. I've got a new pair of Sennheiser earbuds, and they seem to be doing well. (L-Shaped plug, so no room for tubing, but I may try the stretching trick one of the viewers mentioned below).

[@ElbashaOo]

Braindazzled still pretty good results considering the easiness of the project thank you for sharing it ps : happy to hear ur classy voice in my reinforced earphones :)

[@Braindazzled]

Omar Mamdouh Thanks!

[@Dream-Academy]

+Braindazzled time to buy some Shure SE535Ltd with removable cable :P

[@osiel5568]

Impressive

[@nuelle2361]

Damn! Mine only last a month 😂

[@supremesnake21]

Your voice is too good mate

[@DerekMcCullar]

Great video! You inspired me to use this same concept on my new headphones by taking the TINY SPRING from a click ballpoint pen and essentially wrapping the same "joint" area that you did with the shrink tubing. Took 5seconds. Thank you

[@sikhamishra2432]

Well finally got this recommended after 9 years!!

[@gervaciotube]

The Voice is Very Relaxing

[@canucode11]

pause

[@Braindazzled]

As of today, 11/17/2014, I'm still carrying and using the same headphones on a daily basis. They work as well as ever, but I have to admit the insulation coating the wires has gotten rather stiff in some areas, and has developed a few small breaks in the middle of the wires that I've just wrapped tape around.

[@aienbalosaienbalos4186]

woah, the fact that you got earbuds to last long enough for the insulation to be a problem is impressive.

[@Braindazzled]

BTW, I made this video June 2011, and I'm still using the same headphones as I write this--September 2012. Before I figured out this trick, I used to need a new set of headphones every few months.

[@leeamcd]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video!

[@ironpig6424]

Wow, this is so simple, yet so handy! Thanks man, im sick of spending 24 bucks on head phones and them breaking in 2 months!

[@Braindazzled]

I want to buy new ones, but this same pair in the video are still going strong!

[@Ardley101]

He should be a teacher or professor. Very patient. And great voice as well! Make more videos. Even if they’re about nothing, I’d listen!

[@g.roshangounder3065]

This video felt real professional

[@wyattajero337]

this is the most helpful video on the internet if you're talking about increasing the life of earphones. now I know what to do next. thanks for this

[@NeoNyder]

Awesome video, my Klipsch S4I's had an exposed wire from the end of the headphone jack up maybe an inch. Got some heat shrink tubing from radio shack and works like a charm and looks a whole lot better too. Saved me $140 bucks replacing, thanks bud!!!

[@amandah2637]

Thank you so much! I followed your instructions and now my wire can barely move in the area next to the audio jack! I can't wait to see how long it will last. I totally recommend this guy.

[@ajinkya3780]

Your headphones still working or they died in peace?

[@syn010110]

For some reason it's become fashionable to not put decent strain relief on cables and to not put right-angle plugs on portable headphones. I suspect this is a matter of pretty blatant and insulting planned obsolescence. Note my desktop headphones have a beefy cable with a good chunky strain relief, yet I have to do this with my UE earphones...

[@Braindazzled]

Planned obsolescence? Probably. No real reason I can think of for the designers not to do a better job on the details..

[@aylahmacannadh9748]

Thank you so much for an awesome tutorial! I have a pair of 5 year old BOSE earbuds which were just starting to show some stress on the ear part as well as on the joint where the plug is. This saved my buds for at least a while! BOSE is horrible with the quality of their plugs and so many people will sell a broken pair for a few bucks not realizing all they need to do is replace the plug. I pick up so many sets like that, replace a $2 part and resell for a nice little profit and people are happy to get a $100 to $300 set of buds for an incredibly low price so everybody is happy! God Bless, Maegi

[@CHO-st5rb]

Can I use a small piece of straw instead of a tube? Or maybe can I only use tape and then wrap it around?

[@zoe9632]

You've a soothing voice. Thanks for the tip also 😀

[@keithstadler8694]

Brilliant, thanks for this. Just strengthened 2 sets of earphones in about 10 minutes. Awesome!

[@Braindazzled]

Keith Stadler Happy to hear it!

[@ajinkya3780]

So till how many days your headphones worked??

[@Braindazzled]

Sorry to hear it Bonnie. Even if you burned away the insulation, you can still salvage the headphones, as long as the wires are unbroken. If the wires are exposed, you can put a little strip of electrical tape between the wires to keep them separated (the metal musn't touch) and then wrap the bad area with electrical tape (and cover it with shrink tubing if you haven't sworn off the stuff).

[@yas5634]

your voice is really nice to listen to! I kept going on with the video just because of how nice and well spoken you were!

[@amaurimedici8030]

I also loved his voice.

[@Braindazzled]

Alternatively --and this also goes for any headphones where the wire is broken near the plug-- you can replace that stereo plug and that bad bit of wire closest to it. This can be complicated, but I'm sure there are plenty of videos about "replacing stereo plugs" on KZbin. Many electricians and custom stereo shops will replace the plug for you on $130 headphones, but they might not do it for $10 headphones. If you're going to do it yourself, practice on some cheap phones first!!

[@dougsmith3987]

your voice

[@johneli495]

I will keep this in mind. My earbuds just failed at that spot

[@kajallison8896]

That is smart using the tape. Would have never have thought of that.

[@Braindazzled]

The tape isn't always necessary if the plug has a texture or grooves molded into it. But if the section is smooth like these headphones, it helps. Thanks for the comment!

[@BallinXFox]

This is gonna help me so much. You have no idea.

[@RichsMethods]

Good idea! I wish I would have done this when I first bought my headphones.

[@n00baTr00pa]

I love how you talk!

[@blueicer101]

I haven't done it yet but i know this will be useful. Thanks!

[@Braindazzled]

The earpeices are more problematic, becuase every brand is designed so very differently. In my experience, if the wires break near the headphones, it's usually INSIDE the headphone, where the wire attached to the actual sound element. Some possible options to reinforce this part of the headphone might be to use tape around the wire, another possibility might be to use a little drop of thick glue where the wire meets the shell (but don't let the glue run inside!). Good luck!

[@demandmyrespect]

great video i oonly wish i could have seen this befor i got my headphones yesterday and used tape

[@Braindazzled]

In response to Aina's question, I found a pretty good video on how to replace the plug if the wire is already broken. I'm not familiar with the guy who did these videos, but he seems to have a whole series on repairing headphones. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZnRiYiHh7Znq5Y

[@Karim-uknwmg702]

Really it works thanks

[@Aliyea]

This is so soothing

[@TheLubricatedGamerz]

This video helped ALOT :D Nice Step - by - Step Elaboration!

[@CD-uf2zs]

This is so amazing.. I can't even.. sigh,.. Thank you

[@Braindazzled]

Awww... Thanks!

[@marioveyna]

that's what i looking for repair my about-to-crack bose earphones, thanks for sharing!!

[@dementedbowine8681]

ok they tend to break all over the cord and that might help a bit but not if you pinch it or something like that but if one side does not work allready look at the jack and take off the first black ring from the cord down and put some copper wier or solder on it and make sure its smooth and you will have good old mono headphones they will last twice as long and thats because it has two wiers to supply the sound signal and a base if the base breakes than they stop working no matter what

[@richardpowell4281]

I think i'm gonna try this with my next pair. I use Skull Candy's constantly, they are great quality but for me they fall apart in like 3 months because I abuse them a lot.

[@Braindazzled]

Hi folks! I'm pretty well experienced with little tools and repairs, but if you're not as comfortable doing the things I've shown in the video, you might want to get a really cheap set of headphones to practice on before working on your favorite ones. Here in NYC, there are guys who sell cheap earphones on the street for about $3. You can also find really cheap ones on Ebay for a buck or two.

[@snorlaxcom]

Would a hair dryer seal it as well?

[@tomd5678]

If you have some ordinary noise isolating earbud headphones that fit your ears well - twist them slightly so that that the bit with the wire fits in above the little lobe at the front of your ear. You'll then be able to push them in further and make the isolation far more effective

[@Diddancing]

hey pretty smart, but then, it hurts your ears...

[@NalDeryoga]

if you were to put tape around the part that would bend would you have to constantly replace it or does it depend mostly on the kind of tape you use

[@Braindazzled]

If you did it for the entire wire it would be stiff like a rod! The heat shrink tubing gets very stiff. But I don;t think it's really necessary. Nearly all the headphones I've ever had wore out at that one spot above the plug, so the stiff tubing protects it. BTW, the headphones I used for this video are still working like charm!

[@eviekrone684]

Your voice is so nice.

[@cagd0529]

October 2020 waiving here! Im today years old

[@MannOnTheStreets]

Oof the Radio shack mention 😂

[@samlivingstone2230]

what size shrink tubing did you use? great video too!

[@theclock...]

tqqq soo much... i was thinking wer to buy shrink tubes ....u gv the point to get them

[@GotYourWallet]

The way you said "There we are!" reminded me of Bob Ross.

[@kattelyn92]

Very handy, thanks.

[@DamnSmoker]

Man, thanks, that's an amazing guide! Just how it's supposed to be: simple and thorough. Greetings from Russia!

[@pritpalsingh4729]

Job wase done very ecorately as professional. Keep growing.

[@kunleonafowora8557]

Please what do I do, if my ear buds are already broken and not producing sound well

[@FromMyPerspectPhoto]

I hope you're still responding to comments on these vids. Is it possible to do this for the entire wire up-to the Y-split on a pair of earbuds? And if so, would you recommend it, at all?

[@deepakkumaryadav9355]

Love from india ❤️

[@moumeniabderrahmen176]

Legends say the headphones still working 😂

[@Zimba9810]

i was thinking of using a globe of hot glue gun on it then form it into cylinder shape. will the heat damage the wire?

[@dr.psycho5606]

Just use a spring from an old pen, It works the best

[@mrdeadhead]

to the people with one earbud/speaker that's dead, or works if you get it juuust right, 99% of the time this is because of the wires connected to the headphone jack. your headphones themselves are fine, you don't (and probably shouldn't) need to do this trick for that end. either way, your headphones are shot, you should buy new ones. and if you do this trick on that pair (at the jack), you can prevent this from happening to them. Good luck.

[@mrdeadhead]

Oh and to the people with wiring coming out of the earbud, no. throw it out. same with anything else in your house with frayed wires... in general... from now on.

[@Braindazzled]

A heatgun is great if you have it, but as you can see, a lighter, or even matches, will work well, as long as one is careful. It doesn't hurt to practice on a scrap of heatshrink tubing before actually trying it on your headphones the first time.

[@johnnyg3814]

genius!!!

[@BabaYaga569]

im watching this 10 y/o video and it's still helpful

[@pathdestroyer]

this is fantastic. I have a AKG K450 and I have gone through 3 sets of cable because it is very thin. I have been looking around to find a better quality cable for it but no luck. Do you think i can use a heatshrink tube to cover the whole cable to make it a bit sturdier ?

[@ravetanaka9356]

I've done it!:D Thank you so much for this knowledge:)

[@kamalgovada4589]

Electric tape tip Literally fixed my earphones😂😂 ty

[@corrobi7]

Your voice makes me want to make you my Dad.

[@canucode11]

pause

[@rachmaddann3178]

Eww

[@kimihitothegreat6396]

thank you

[@Braindazzled]

Of course! It stops it from shrinking!

[@mrsrothko]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[@ReadTheBible33]

yes it helped good job!

[@thefogisgone3662]

Every time i think i have a genius idea someone already thought of it. Lol.

[@weary_traveller111]

I'm gonna order some shrink tubes that I'll use on my earbuds. Should I go for 2:1 or 3:1 ones?

[@tomd5678]

Another thing. If you have headphones where the wires are strong but are not straight and have bends that can not be straightened then do this---- hold the headphones by the buds and jack and let the wires down into a cup of just boiled water for a few seconds - the wire will come out straight

[@ialimcelada536]

You have a nice voice...

[@Braindazzled]

Sorry, I haven't had a chance to respond earlier. It shouldn't be necessary to reinforce the rest of the wire. Heatshrink tubing becomes very stiff when shrunk, so it wouldn't be a very good idea. Your headphones would look like a stiff rod. But you shouldn't need to reinforce the rest of the wire. It's that one little spot close to the plug where most headphones break.

[@Braindazzled]

@TrolloftheTube --It looked about 1/4" in dia. I bought a package of assorted sized tubing at Radio Shack and just used the one that seemed tightest, since it was convenient for me, but if you buy it on line or from electronics specialists, they can usually tell you what the starting diameter is and what the tightest diameter will be.

[@EnjOyftw]

I'm gonna try this with molten polyprop plastic instead of shrink tube

[@vannere136]

I am see this video 2021 who watching this in 2021 please comment

[@theblueberrykittyflu]

thank you so much :)

[@sarahjaneweaver8051]

if u put more then one layer of the tubbing on it it would proubably make it even more stronger

[@akhilaramachandran2785]

i have two original sony Ericsson bass reflex ear phones still working. but new earphones do not last long because manufacturers do not wqnt them to last long

[@Hybred]

Everyone's talking about his voice so I'm just gonna say he sounds like the voice actor of Master Chief. If he tried he could probably sound just like the actual character.

[@tradingisimple]

Nice Thanks

[@jomarireyes755]

thanks man :)

[@dacasman]

Why didn't you just shrink the rest of the heatshrink rather than cutting it off?

[@Braindazzled]

Good question! I cut the tubing flush with the end of the plug because if a little of the tubing sticks out, the plug won't go all the way into the device, and the headphones wont make sound. On the other side, I didn't shrink the tubing all the way for 2 reasons-- 1) I was holding onto that end, and 2) I didn't want the heat from the fire to contact the wire directly, and that little bit of unshrunk tubing protected the wire.

[@eunthelion]

Will this work with flat chords? The wire insulation on my earphones has cuts on it and i would want to repair it if possible

[@kiki1111563]

Could you also do this to the wire by the actual earbud part?

[@Braindazzled]

It would be very hard to do, but I guess you could with a little experimentation. A lot of headphones already have a rigid bit of tube attached to earbuds for this purpose.

[@ainaamir5297]

Can we repair earphone that actually broken . that cant hear only on the left side of the earphone . can we use this method to it ?

[@idontevenknow9768]

What lighter did you use?

[@murderthemassacre]

Great video! but i dont have Heat shrink tubing and my Audio jack is L shaped. is it alright to use tape? if so which tape would be the best alternative?

[@Braindazzled]

Sure. Tape will also work to reduce the flexing. The L-shaped plug is also designed for that purpose so, between the two, you're probably going to be OK.

[@murderthemassacre]

tnx man

[@indexMemories]

Sony xb450 or xb550 series have the most robust cables I've seen on under $100 headphones.

[@AvatarTTfan]

how do i fix it if the problem is in one of the headphones not where it connects?

[@samarfawzi9880]

my problem is one of those two ear buds break and the other one bits the dust really quick

[@brokeboy3478]

How much did your assorted Heat Shrink Tubing cost?

[@RynaxAlien]

Steel springs best