News; How to Replace a Headphone Plug

A good set of headphones can last a lifetime, but it's unlikely that the plug at the end of the headphone cord will. If you can solder a wire, though, there's no reason you can't replace it. If you don't know how to solder, you can buy a replacement plug that uses screw-on terminals, although this will be less secure over the long run.

Step 1:Use wire cutters/strippers to snip the old headphone plug off the cord. Purchase an exact replacement headphone plug at an electronics store.

Step 2:Twist off the shell of the replacement plug and slide it and any insulating sleeve onto the headphone cord.

Step 3:Using the wire cutters/strippers, remove 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) of the outer insulation from the headphone cord. You should find three wires: two insulated wires and one uninsulated wire, which is the ground.

Step 4:Strip 1/2 inch (12 mm) of insulation from each of the insulated wires.

Step 5:Solder or screw the uninsulated ground wire to the plug terminal that is farthest from the plug tip.

Step 6:Solder the insulated wires to the other plug terminals. If you don't know which terminal on the plug is the right channel and which is the left, you can use a continuity tester (available at electronics or hardware stores) to find out, testing it first on the tip of the headphone jack, which is always the left channel.

Step 7: Squeeze the plug clips together with a pair of pliers to secure the cord

Step 8:Slide the shell over the plug and screw the plug in place.