As usual, my headphones got killed by the wire/jack wearing out… of course they are built like that on purpose so you would buy a “premium” model for triple the price that allows for replacement wire… which is sooo wasteful and stupid, especially considering that its a really nice and durable model that would normally last for years (and looks better than most of those premium offers)
So to take the matters into my own hands, i got a $5 input jack off ebay and redesigned the damn thing myself.
Its pretty simple actually… gently pull off the leather muffs and open it by the 4 screws
Cut out the old wire (but leave the one going into the other speaker intact)
first i just tried carving the jole bigger with a knife.. unfortunately, the input jack is pretty big so that would not really do…
as an alternative, i used my soldering iron to melt a lot of the plastic to make some room for the jack
i removed the plastic all the way to the leather and made a deep groove in the end for the edge of the jack
time to reconnect! first i added normal wires, 2 of them connected to the circuit board, one to the green wire shared with the other speaker (the green one is a tricky fucker as usual with headphone cables due to the paint/fibre isolation used on it… to get it to solder, first burn the paint off with a lighter (dont let it burn too far) and then scrape it with a knife to expose pure copper… then you can solder it )
attach the wires to appropriate input jack connections (if youre not sure which is the left and right connection, use youtube to find right/left channel audio samples and then do trial and error by touching the connections with each wire to see which is silent, which not)
its a reeeal tight fit just a mm or 2 of space between the magnet (might want to add some tape on it for isolation, just in case…)
because i hadnt planned things out too well, the hole on the exterior became much bugger than needed… so i made a small ring out of copper to fill out the space (and keep it tight so it wouldnt push onto the magnet)
and there ya go, one cheap diy headphone removable jack conversion / fix … works perfect and no worries about treating your wires super nicely :P
Hope someone will find it useful ;)
Hi man, I have the same issue with my Marshall Major headphones. With this method, can I plug a cable with mic to use it as hands free?
yeah, the mic is inside the cable so it never needs to get into the headphones… just the audio wires… so as long as you plug the wire in the right way up, it should work just fine ;)
Thank you for a beautiful fix! I have a sad story going on with my headphones. The weak ass cushions are obliterating so I ordered new ones from Ebay. One day after I ordered the new ones, my girlfriend borrowed my phones (she likes the soooft feeling of the cushions) on a walk and when she came back they were destroyed. The sound was all distorted and it sounded pretty close to someone taking a shit.
I have found that the problem originates in the microphone/control button plastic thing. In the top of it, where the cable exits and continues to the speakers, the cable have slipped out a bit, and have twisted itself. If i jerk it around, I am able to get correct sound for a second or two. I tried to open the microphone with a razor blade, but I chickened out. Then I thought of replacing the whole cable and found your fix. Really smart thing with installing a jack whoch allows for replacing cables! No worries here!
I do own a soldering iron, but I am totally new to using it on fine wiring. I would really appreciate if you have some more pictures, showing the cables inside the speakers, which is which and how/were to cut them. The small size of them makes me nervous and give me a headache.
Thank you anyway, even if you don’t have more pictures and some more description.
sorry for the late reply… seems like my notifications arent making it to the inbox. got no more pictures and the descriptions between the images are as close as it gets… while it might look tiny and messy in there, it is just the photos that make it look like it… if you havent already, just take them apart and you should see how dead simple it is… just remove the old wire (one end going to green wire, two to the circuit board) and just solder in the corresponding wires going into your new jack.
as for trying to “fix” the wire by the microphone… even if you manage to fix it at first, it wont last… ive tried it on many headphones… the damn paint coat on the wire mean for insulating is super hard to remove and usually messes things up in a long run
i had a problem with my majors, he insulator of the wire became brittle and the wire started to break by itself.
Brilliant guide, thank you! I love my Marshalls but have had 3 pairs tearing by the mic/remote.. This solution did the trick, and it was a surprisingly easy mod.
Forgot to mention; I used a screwgun with a socket-sized drillbit to carefully enlarge the hole for the socket, then a Dremmel to round off and file the edges and hollowed out space a bit smoother. A tip for other people who are gonna give this a go.
Could you tell me which input jack you bought? I can seem to find any as small as this one in his tutorial.
Great guide and brilliant fix!
I only bought an input socket, soldering iron and a very similar audio cable, all for quite less than £20, which is the price difference between Marshall Major and Major II models.
I had, evidently, a cable problem, as the sound failed at minimum motions and the mic and controls didn’t work most of the time.
I just followed these steps and didn’t even had to bother with aditional wires and much isolation.
It now sounds great as before.
Thank you very much!
Glad it was of use ;)
I have pretty much no experience using a soldiering machine. Could I do this? Man this is an amazing fix. Though I would miss the old school cord with the rings.
Hey!
Thanks for the great tutorial!
I just soldered a headphone Jack to my flat mate’s headphones. It’s quite easy if you have a little bit experience with soldering. It’s working great. Here’s a link to the headphone Jack I used (for german costumers, I don’t know if they ship europe-wide): http://www.conrad.de/ce/de/product/718600/Klinken-Steckverbinder-35-mm-Buchse-Einbau-vertikal-Polzahl-3-Stereo-Silber-1-St?ref=searchDetail
Thanks again! My flat mate is happy! :D
Greetz
deg0nz
Hi!
I know this email is really outdated but I only encountered the same problem last month and I badly need to replace my cable.
Regarding the input jack, it seems that it’s only a regular jack with Ring, Tip and Sleeve terminals?
Would it work with the microphone cable? How should the wiring goes?
Oh wait. I see that your cable doesn’t have a microphone already. Hmm.. That’s why you only installed a standard stereo input jack.
This is for outfitting an outdated stereo that isnt supposed to have an output jack…. Nothing to do with replacements or microphones. As for recycling a mic jack instead of a stereo one, I don’t recommend that… Mics are usually mono, not stereo so the sound would be weird
How can i replace the wire inside that leather? Can’t open both left and right.
Tried it myself:
https://www.reddit.com/r/diyelectronics/comments/aqdo66/marshall_major_broken_cable_fixed/?utm_source=reddit-android
Thanks for the pictures it really helped
I have a question. Can I do this even if mine are Marshall major 1? Because my Marshall major 1’s left side isn’t working. Can I fix it even if it isn’t wireless?
I have a question. Can I do this even if mine are Marshall major 1? Because my Marshall major 1’s left side isn’t working. Can I fix it even if it isn’t wireless? Thank you
I have a question. Can I do this even if mine are Marshall major 1? Because my Marshall major 1’s left side isn’t working. Can I fix it even if it isn’t wireless? Thank you for your help!!!
Hi Joosep! Great instructions! I would to ask for your advice on how would I replace the wires of my Marshall Major II. The wire I’m referring to is the one that goes to the “arc” of the headset. The wire that connects the left and right headphones.
Thanks! Stay safe man!