How do I keep the headphone cable close to the jack from breaking?

[ilikethetrees]

I wanted to ask if anyone has good advice about keeping those pesky cheap headphones from dying because of cable failure.

I just bought a pair of Shure e3c's and I don't want to go through them in six months like every other headphone I've ever bought. I use them with my iPod, so the cable is occasionally bending at sharp angles at the jack. For example, if I put my iPod in my pocket upside down on accident, the cable will get a crick in it, and over time, the damn cable will break inside, so I either need to solder on a new jack, or buy a new headphone set.

Any suggestions? Maybe there's something one can buy to prevent this, or perhaps a DIY solution you might recommend.

Thanks!

 

[Torula Yeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilikethetrees /img/forum/go_quote.gif I wanted to ask if anyone has good advice about keeping those pesky cheap headphones from dying because of cable failure. I just bought a pair of Shure e3c's and I don't want to go through them in six months like every other headphone I've ever bought. I use them with my iPod, so the cable is occasionally bending at sharp angles at the jack. For example, if I put my iPod in my pocket upside down on accident, the cable will get a crick in it, and over time, the damn cable will break inside, so I either need to solder on a new jack, or buy a new headphone set. Any suggestions? Maybe there's something one can buy to prevent this, or perhaps a DIY solution you might recommend. Thanks!

Have you tried a right angle mini-plug? Could be the answer to your problems.

 

[lostbobby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torula Yeast /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you tried a right angle mini-plug? Could be the answer to your problems.

and/or heat shrink (from Radio shack)

 

[Logman]

I second the suggestion of heat shrink from Radio Shack. I have also seen connectors with small springs on them. The spring wraps around the jack and the cord goes through the middle of the spring. This helps distribute the bend over a larger area. I would guess that it is not a lot of fun to try to put the spring on over the jack without special equipment.