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Have you ever had an expensive pair of headphones stop working or go really quite on you. here's how to repair it.

• this is not a cure all.

This works for both earphone and headphones. Before doing this try cleaning the plug and socket carefully with 99% alcohol on cotton buds.

Steps :

1. Determine where the headphone (phone) is broken. This is normally either at the plug or at the splitting point or at the speakers.
   • If it is at the splitting point you will probably be best off buying a new cable and then attaching it as for both parts of this article.
2. If the phone is broken at the plug, buy a new one (£1.99)(4 usd). One's with metal bodies are better and look good but are more expensive and the plastic ones will do the same job.
3. Cut the cable just above the plug with about 1 inch to spare (this is because this is the area where it will be broken.
4. Strip the wire down (there will normally be one "loose" one and two insulated ones. The bare on will be the earth or common wire, the others are either left or right. You will have to experiment with which is which.
5. Unscrew the plug that you bought, this will normally have two pins sticking out of the end. If it only has one, then you have got a mono, not stereo, plug. the pin furthest from the middle is the left one the middle one the right side and the one that doesn't have a pin is the common.
6. Solder the wires to the correct pins and screw the cap on. Test it. You should now have a nice good sound.
7. If the phones are broken at the ear piece, it is slightly more difficult to repair but don't despair.
8. Open the ear piece. Cut the wire an inch from the exit of the earpiece. Strip the wire as before.
9. Rip the wire from the back of the small speaker. Solder the wires onto where the old one where (it doesn't matter which way around). Test it before you put it back together. If it works fit the whole thing back together.

Tips :

• try not to hold the soldering iron on the contact too long as it will either melt the surrounding plastic or ruin the contacts.
• practice on a cheap earphone first

Warnings :

Be careful not to burn yourself, a soldering iron is hot!!