[Kamakahah]

Making a headphone cable on a budget

You can get cheap copper wire with transparent insulation from various places overseas through Lunashops, Aliexpress and Ebay. Just search for things like, "OFC copper wire" and "OCC copper wire". Plenty of cheap ones. Not the highest strand counts and usually less than supple insulation. The shipping time can be a few weeks, but you asked for cheap.

Alternatively, you can order some OFC copper from BTG audio for a reasonable price(relatively). It ships from northern California.

 

[DemonicAngelz]

The only wire like that that I know of is boutique stuff like DHC offers. Not sure where to get it cheap like you can Canare/Mogami.

Sigh. Its only getting harder cause I'm in the UK. Cant find any decent cable providers. 

Anyone have links?

 

[Toxic Cables]

  Sigh. Its only getting harder cause I'm in the UK. Cant find any decent cable providers. 

Anyone have links?

Shoot me a PM if you like with what you need, i have OCC stranded copper wire starting at £0.50 per feet, silver at £2.50.
 
We are UK based.

 

[musicinmymind]

Completed my HD-650 custom wire, I was kind of annoyed with length of stock wire. So split them into two and did successfully attached the plugs to it. But not able efficiently apply Shrink Tubing for Strain Relief, like the one I see on below pic.
 
do we really need, heat gun for efficient like below? 
 

 
 
  

 

[Kamakahah]

Completed my HD-650 custom wire, I was kind of annoyed with length of stock wire. So split them into two and did successfully attached the plugs to it. But not able efficiently apply Shrink Tubing for Strain Relief, like the one I see on below pic.

do we really need, heat gun for efficient like below? 





  

Nope. It's just faster and easier with one. You can use a lighter if you're careful or blow dryer if you're patient.

 

[JacobLee89]

Nope. It's just faster and easier with one. You can use a lighter if you're careful or blow dryer if you're patient.

 
With those connectors though, choose a lower heat setting else the plastic on the strain relievers will melt inside the shrink wrap. I've thought I'd be more experienced on the 4th time I did it (spoiler: the strain relievers warped again), but I'll go for the blow dryer path with those cardas connectors if I were to ever make another pair of Sennheiser cables.
 
Then again... I was using a paint stripper as a heat gun...

 

[ThurstonX]

If you use a candle for heat shrinking, you can hold the cable with two hands.  Makes for easier distance and rotational control, at least as compared to using a lighter.

 

[musicinmymind]

  If you use a candle for heat shrinking, you can hold the cable with two hands.  Makes for easier distance and rotational control, at least as compared to using a lighter.

 
Thanks for all suggestion, I will start with candle, let me check how much progress I make.

 

[DJScope]

Anyone has or can get the pin outs for the ZMF Blackwoods?

 

[PETEREK]

By looking at them, I'd guess they are epoxied in. That's quite a deep channel they're in. If they aren't epoxied, just try unscrewing them.

 

[creatip]

  Does anyone know where can I get 2.5 mm 4 pole, which is easy for soldering. Check below 3.5 mm 4 pole backpart is easy for soldering (not sure what to call it)
 

 
unlike this one, which is complicated for soldering, 
 

 
 
I can get 3.5 mm 4 pole in below ebay link, but could not find similar 2.5 mm, please suggest.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4pcs-Gold-plate-Stereo-4-Pole-Male-3-5mm-Jack-Plug-Audio-connector-headphone-/161098165421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258232ecad

 
I think the main reason they use 1-shaft-multiple-poles design is because of space. The smaller the plug and the more polarities, the less space to implement the separate soldering points like in the first picture. Those 1 shaft design is also easier to work with cables with multiple polarities grouped/shielded together. It's kinda awkward to work with, but just need a little practice.
 
PS: imagine what it's like soldering this kind of plug:
 

 

  Completed my HD-650 custom wire, I was kind of annoyed with length of stock wire. So split them into two and did successfully attached the plugs to it. But not able efficiently apply Shrink Tubing for Strain Relief, like the one I see on below pic.
 
do we really need, heat gun for efficient like below? 
 

 
 
  

 
AFAIK, there are different kinds of heatshrink tubes, in context of its shrink ratio. Cheap-ass industrial shrink tubes are usually 2:1. There are better ones at 3:1. Basically it means, say the initial diameter is 6mm. 2:1 tubes can shrink to 3mm max, while 3:1 tubes can shrink to 2mm max. It's useful to use bigger ratio when implementing to something with one big end, and small other end, like the plug in the picture. 
 
Oh, on another note, regarding to questions about how to know/test polarities of stereo plugs, will it be helpful if I take a few picture of using a DMM to test them?

 

[BillsonChang007]

 
PS: imagine what it's like soldering this kind of plug:
 

 
 

I got impatient waiting for my 3.5mm jack to arrive so I pulled a IEM that I don't use at all and take out its jack to put it on my custom cable. Its similar to the one in the picture except that it is 3 poles and damn! I will never go back to it. Luckily I found a unused cable so I pulled out its 3.5mm jack and put it on my custom cable.

Special thanks to Shawn and ThurstonX for the advice! I have successfully completed my cable hehe 

 

[Worth]

  I got impatient waiting for my 3.5mm jack to arrive so I pulled a IEM that I don't use at all and take out its jack to put it on my custom cable. Its similar to the one in the picture except that it is 3 poles and damn! I will never go back to it. Luckily I found a unused cable so I pulled out its 3.5mm jack and put it on my custom cable.

Special thanks to Shawn and ThurstonX for the advice! I have successfully completed my cable hehe 

Pic?

 

[BillsonChang007]

Pic?

Pic?

Its kind of ugly but will post it tomorrow!

 

[Shawn71]

I got impatient waiting for my 3.5mm jack to arrive so I pulled a IEM that I don't use at all and take out its jack to put it on my custom cable. Its similar to the one in the picture except that it is 3 poles and damn! I will never go back to it. Luckily I found a unused cable so I pulled out its 3.5mm jack and put it on my custom cable.


Special thanks to Shawn and ThurstonX
 for the advice! I have successfully completed my cable hehe 

Thats it, boom......great job! URW