Custom plug results

[AndyKatz]

What could be simpler . . . right?

I perused some of the available sites, but didn't find any plugs that seemed *more* suitable than the Radio Shack. So I bought a new one, plus glue and heat-shrink tubing.

Glue was a catastrophe. The plug was mislabled. It was a no-soldier rather than solder type. It wound up in the garbage.

The plug portrayed was put together with spare parts. The inner workings were soldiered, then a narrow bit of shrink wrap applied, then a metal housing screwed on, then an outer layer of shrink.

No glue.

The volume knob on my TAH, however, is now permanently crazy-glued in position.

Don't ask . . . please.

Ironically, the tubing is rigid enough to provide the kind of stress I changed plugs to avoid. Still, it is a 1/8" and the Grado cord is shorter now, making it more suitable for mobile use.

I don't even want to think about the hours I put into this.

Modding the SR 60 plug took an hour at most.

Anyway, it was interesting how much there is to learn, about trimming wire lengths, and heat-shrink tubing. I bet a lot of it has become such second nature to headfi modders they don't even have to stop and think about it anymore

Andy

 

[diredesire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyKatz What could be simpler . . . right? I perused some of the available sites, but didn't find any plugs that seemed *more* suitable than the Radio Shack. So I bought a new one, plus glue and heat-shrink tubing. Glue was a catastrophe. The plug was mislabled. It was a no-soldier rather than solder type. It wound up in the garbage. The plug portrayed was put together with spare parts. The inner workings were soldiered, then a narrow bit of shrink wrap applied, then a metal housing screwed on, then an outer layer of shrink. No glue. The volume knob on my TAH, however, is now permanently crazy-glued in position. Don't ask . . . please. Ironically, the tubing is rigid enough to provide the kind of stress I changed plugs to avoid. Still, it is a 1/8" and the Grado cord is shorter now, making it more suitable for mobile use. I don't even want to think about the hours I put into this. Modding the SR 60 plug took an hour at most. Anyway, it was interesting how much there is to learn, about trimming wire lengths, and heat-shrink tubing. I bet a lot of it has become such second nature to headfi modders they don't even have to stop and think about it anymore Andy

For the grado re-cables, you might want to look into the Neutrik connectors they sell at partsexpress, i really liked those, in case you want to try it again. Compact, and shouldn't make it too stiff.

 

[kramer5150]

Personally ... I have had nothing but troubles with those rat shack TRS connectors. I bought 6 of them for my recables. 4 of them had internal intermittency on the tip contact. The little "rivet-like" part inside that sandwiches to the solder tab is seldomly tight enough to make consistent contact. Of the 4 I was able to salvage 2 by over-soldering and getting the solder to flow all over the rivet-thing and solder tab. The other 2 were dead.

I was pullin my hair for hours trying to debug my SR40 and CD870 recables... I for one am through wasting my time with that particular TRS connector. I was freikin out... thought I had toasted the drivers or something.

I agree theres more to connector splicing than meets the eye. If you add randomly defective TRS connectors into the mix... it can be a holy nightmare.

Garrett