MatthewFreedAudio Posted May 7, 2012 Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 I have a pair of Sony 7506 headphones that developed a break partway down the cable. I have cut out the bad section and now need to splice back together the two cables. There are two things I am confused about and wondering if anyone can shed some light. 1. The internal wires are colored and remind me of annodized aluminum. There is no jacket around each individual wire as they are each twisted around each other. This surprised me as I am used to dealing with separate wires each with jackets. 2. I can't get solder to adhere to the cable. I tried both a 15 and 25 watt iron with 62/32/2 rosin core solder. It just won't bond to the Sony wires. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted May 7, 2012 Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 There's a coating on the wires that needs to be cleaned off. At the point where you wish to join the cables with solder, first carefully scrape the tiny wires (I did say, "carefully"), then burn the rest of the coating off with a match. Carefully clean off any carbon residue left from the match and twist the wires together and solder them. Practice will help you with this, so if you have a section that'll no longer be used, practice with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted May 7, 2012 Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 this is a known and well discussed situation, and the service departments of our usual suspects typically replace the entire cable...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berniebeaudry Posted May 7, 2012 Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 It is easier to replace the entire cable. Might be a good chance to replace the coiled cable with a straight one. There's a good parts list, diagram on the original packaging. If you need it I could scan mine and send you a copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewFreedAudio Posted May 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2012 Thanks guys. I do believe simply replacing the entire cable will be the easiest/quickest route. I'll just throw on a straight cable with a 1/4" TRS for this pair of headphones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 Matt, here's a guide on how to solder Litz wire: http://www.41hz.com/forums/content.php?348-Soldering-Litz-wire I agree, it's a total pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 A good description and explanation. However, in general I've had the most success with the method I described earlier: Lightly scrape the strands, then a quick burn with a match. If the wires are going to a connector, I tin both the wires and the connector pads prior to soldering them together. If the wires are going to be connected to other wires (such as the o.p. described), I don't tin the wires first (as that makes them hard to twist and causes breakage), I just twist the wires together and solder, (after following the above-described preparation). Practice, practice, practice and it becomes second nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactuskid Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 This is what I was told by a reputable cable manufacturer. NEVER splice an audio cable together, except in extreme circumstances and only as a quick fix. I know this is just for monitoring, but it's still important to have a good clean signal. There are too many instances where moisture, dirt, wear and tear, etc will eventually make it crackle and you'll wish you just replaced the entire cable in the first place. It always seems to break down right when you need it not to (Murphy's Law). John B has had some luck with it though. What's your secret, John? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 I agree: I'm 100% against splices and don't even like to use adapters. I go for a purpose-built cable that goes from X to Y, with nothing in between. It looks better and holds up better over time, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BVS Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 +1 with Marc on this.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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