Have you ever been listening to your favorite song on your headphones, and all of a sudden the music stops? This is usually because the headphone plug has come out. Headphones can be difficult to keep plugged in so here are some tips for how to fix a headphone plug.
If you are one of the many people who compulsively plugs and unplugs their headphones, then this post is for you. We’ll explore the reasons why that is a bad idea, and what to do instead and how to fix a headphone plug
Now I’m not saying that plugging in your headphones every time they get pulled out is going to break them (although it might!), but there are some other issues with this behavior.
Most importantly, it can cause wear on the cord near where it connects to your device or headphone jack. This wear can lead to fraying or even tearing over time which will eventually cause problems with sound quality and volume control. Plugs should be plugged in when not in use so your cords last longer.
First, let’s take a look at what may be causing the problem. Usually, when your headphones pop out of their plug or you lose volume on one side, it is because the wire has come loose from where it connects to your device or headphone jack. This usually happens gradually over time as that spot gets used and abused.
Plug everything in When your headphones are plugged into the device, make sure to play something on them to make sure all of the sound is coming through before you unplug them. This will cause less wear and tear on your headphone-jack connection (and cables) if it’s not necessary to plug and unplug every time you listen.
If that connection seems fine, then look at the little plastic cylinder attached to the headphone cable where it plugs into the jack—that’s called a “headphone jack” or “audio jack” for short. The part sticking out of your phone or mp3 player is actually called an audio port or audio connector .
These can be round, square, large, small, inside sub-mini, sub-mini…you get the idea. The important thing to remember is that there are various types of connections and not every headphone plug will fit snugly into every audio port.
Table of Contents
How to Fix Headphone Plug?
What you need:
- your headphones (obviously)
- screwdriver with flat head
1. Fixing a Stuck Headphone Plug
If the backside of your headphone connector seems too tight when you try to put it into your device’s jack, don’t force it! The connector may be slightly bent—simply push against the outside edges of the connector until it no longer feels stuck. This should fix anything that was jammed up inside so you can easily plug in your headphones again without forcing them.
2. Fixing a Loose Headphone Plug
If you plug in your headphone cord and it feels loose or wobbly, the only way to fix that is by replacing the jack using this guide. If you have an older audio device with a separate headphone jack, there may come a time when the wire gets pulled out of the jack itself.
In these cases you can either secure it back into place or replace just that piece, but if you crack open the shell of your device it’s important to be very gentle when messing around in there.
It’s also worth mentioning here that any time you’re tinkering with electronics, calibrating equipment, reattaching tiny pieces needs to needs to be done delicately—no shockwaves or exposed static-electricity components. If you’re not sure how to work with electronics, don’t try this at home!
3. Fixing a Broken Headphone Plug
Your headphone plug is broken if the wire has been pulled out of the metal part completely, leaving only two loose pieces hanging around. Your first instinct might be to cut off your headphones and replace them but it’s actually much easier to repair the jack entirely by replacing just that piece rather than purchasing new headphones or tearing apart your device.
If replacement parts are needed they can be found online or at any store that carries electronic accessories like Radio Shack.
Replacing the headphone jack requires soldering which is something most people have seen before but many people have never tried. If you’re interested in learning more about it, have a look at this DIY Soldering Guide .
Read Also: How to Fix Headphones Cushion?
Step-by-Step instructions for Fixing Headphone Plug
- Unplug the damaged headphone plug from your device and remove any excess wire that may be hanging around. You just want to get down to the bare minimum wire here because once you start soldering, you don’t want anything getting in the way.
- On either side of the jack is where solder connects; therefore it’s important not to let any part touch another metal surface—including itself! If it does touch, electricity will flow between them causing heat and worse case scenario—shorts. This is especially important if both sides are touching each other or connected to the metal shell.
- To remove solder from one piece, place the soldering iron on top of it until you see the solder melt all over the tip of your soldering iron. Then carefully wipe any excess away with a damp cloth or sponge that hasn’t been used to clean anything but your tools (unused sponges can carry old dirt and oils).
- Once you’re sure no part of this is touching another part, use some pliers to grip either side while holding down the outer shell and pulling apart gently until it comes loose. This may take a couple attempts and will likely cause some slight cracks in your device’s case—if yours breaks completely, no big deal! There are new shells available for most devices even if they aren’t the same brand.
- Once you’ve got your old part out, set it aside and measure the length of wire inside the headphone jack. This is how much we’ll cut off to give ourselves some slack when we solder everything together later on.
- Take a look at both sides of your new headphone plug and identify which terminals need solder and which will just be resting in place until you’re ready to solder them down; this also depends on whether or not your device supports stereo sound (left and right channels). We only want one side touching the metal shell for this to work, so make sure it’s clear of anything else before soldering!
- Once both sides are clear you can start heating up the solder to attach them both. Follow the same process as before and melt some solder on to each piece, then wipe away any excess. It’s important not to use too much solder so as not to create a larger connection than necessary or it could cause electrical problems later on.
- Some headphone jacks have exposed metal around the casing so they don’t need insulation; however, if yours does, cut a piece of heat shrink tubing long enough to wrap around the part a few times leaving a little slack between pieces (but not loose) and slide that over your exposed wire once everything is set in place. Now simply twist it into place which will shrink its thickness with heat from your lighter or soldering iron to create a tight, insulated barrier. If it’s not twisted all the way around you can simply use pliers to do that once its been shrunken down.
- Not only is your headphone jack fixed, but now you get to enjoy stereo sound again!
Conclusion
In this blog post, we’ve shown you how to replace a headphone jack with ease. All it takes is the right tools and some soldering skills!
Keep in mind that different devices require slightly different processes, so make sure to read your device’s manual before attempting anything on your own.
