Headphone cable broken - what to do in the event of a cable break?

If the cable of your headphones is broken, you can in most cases repair the cable break yourself. We'll show you how it works.

Broken cable on the headphone cable: Can it be repaired?

• When repairing a headphone cable, you can't do much wrong or break a lot. In the worst case, the headphones remain defective.
• The connected device cannot be damaged by defective headphones. However, pull the headphones out of the MP3 player or smartphone for repair.
• Headphones usually start with a single cable at the connection and then split into two cables above. In the following instructions we will show you how to repair both parts.

Repair the headphone cable with a broken cable

Note: In this example, we first repair the cable briefly under the headphones, where the cable has already split.

• First, make sure by touch where the cable is broken. Take a sharp pocket, carpet or kitchen knife and cut the rubber sheath of the cable at the appropriate point. Cut only in the sheath, not in the cable. The cut should be around an inch long.
• You will now see the cable break. The cable is usually somewhat frayed at the point. Use scissors to sever the break completely and twist the two ends with your fingers.
• Wrap the two wires around each other so that the connection is restored. To do this, you have to remove the rubber sheath a few times so that the cable becomes a little shorter.
• You can then close the cable again with insulating tape. If necessary, simple adhesive tape does the same.
• If the cable break occurs where both cables are still hanging in one strand, you must be particularly careful: there are two more cables in the cable. You can treat them as described in the instructions above.

More tips for hobbyists in the CHIP special issue: screwing, chopping, repairing

The great inventor guide from CHIP - so you get the most out of your devices! 150 pages of professional tips from the editorial team on the topics of PC & notebook, WLAN, multimedia, photo and smartphone. The highlights of the DVD: 77 hardware tools, 16 videos and 1750 products in the test

• Build an SSD using only USB sticks, simply amplify your WLAN and build an iPhone Luper - we show you how!
• In the CHIP kiosk you will find the CHIP special issue either as a booklet or as a PDF for download

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to properly clean in-ear headphones.