Custom Headphones
Hi!
Sooo...It's been a really long time since I made something new, but new semester is really hard.
Anyway.. I wanted to make something cool, usable and not so expensive. And I love music and original custom things. I also keep all the old stuff and scrap in my room. And then it hit me! Custom headphones!
It wasn't so hard to make and I had plenty of components at home. Yet I had to buy some of them, but they were cheap :)
Sooo...It's been a really long time since I made something new, but new semester is really hard.
Anyway.. I wanted to make something cool, usable and not so expensive. And I love music and original custom things. I also keep all the old stuff and scrap in my room. And then it hit me! Custom headphones!
It wasn't so hard to make and I had plenty of components at home. Yet I had to buy some of them, but they were cheap :)
Materials and Tools
Materials
- some old good looking vintage headphones (I bought old IDEAL headphones on the internet for about 7 USD... The legend says, that a famous audio company Blaupunkt (bluepoint) was named after this model. )
- some old good playing headphones (I used my old PortaPros.. I like their sound and they were already broken)
- wires
- 3,5mm (or 6,3mm , it depends how you'll be using them after) jack
- heat shrink tube
- some cord (for coating wires) (I used 3 metres)
- foam, fabrics, leather, needle and thread
- glue, paints..
Tools
- scissors
- pliers
- wire
- soldering stuff
- some old good looking vintage headphones (I bought old IDEAL headphones on the internet for about 7 USD... The legend says, that a famous audio company Blaupunkt (bluepoint) was named after this model. )
- some old good playing headphones (I used my old PortaPros.. I like their sound and they were already broken)
- wires
- 3,5mm (or 6,3mm , it depends how you'll be using them after) jack
- heat shrink tube
- some cord (for coating wires) (I used 3 metres)
- foam, fabrics, leather, needle and thread
- glue, paints..
Tools
- scissors
- pliers
- wire
- soldering stuff
Disassembly and Assembly
- Open the old headphones and take out all the useless things that are hiding inside.
- Then clean everything from rust.
- I also had to glue some parts together, as they were broken.
- Carefully detach the functional earphone from the frame
- Try to fit new speakers to the old headphones (gods granted me with all the luck I could have, because Porta Pro speakers perfectly fit into the IDEAL headphones! )
After this step you should have prepared the speakers and frame for your future custom headphones. And now to the next step!
- Then clean everything from rust.
- I also had to glue some parts together, as they were broken.
- Carefully detach the functional earphone from the frame
- Try to fit new speakers to the old headphones (gods granted me with all the luck I could have, because Porta Pro speakers perfectly fit into the IDEAL headphones! )
After this step you should have prepared the speakers and frame for your future custom headphones. And now to the next step!
Wiring
And here comes the hardest part - wiring!
I wanted my cables to look cool and last a little bit, so I decided to put them into the cord (that was one stupid idea! ).
If you're gonna do that, be sure, that your cord is enough wide and hollow, so you could be able to insert wires into it.
I did it with a little help of steel wire. I soldered the copper wires onto it and "easily" put it through the cord. Then I just cut them off.
I put three wires in main cable (1 for ground, 1 for right canal and the last one for left) and two in each cable leading to the earphone.
After that I soldered wires to the 3,5mm jack and sealed them with heat shrink tube (there's a plastic jack in photos, but later I changed it for a golden one).
Next step is to attach a new wires to speakers. Then connect the ground wires from headphones to the ground wire from jack and each wire to the desired canal (it doesn't matter at all if you change right and left canal, you'll just turn headphones 180°.. but I added a description to the photo ;) ).
Now you can seal the speakers inside the headphones. IDEAL headphones can be unscrewed, so it's easy and they can be repaired if necessary, but it will depend on which model you have.
I wanted my cables to look cool and last a little bit, so I decided to put them into the cord (that was one stupid idea! ).
If you're gonna do that, be sure, that your cord is enough wide and hollow, so you could be able to insert wires into it.
I did it with a little help of steel wire. I soldered the copper wires onto it and "easily" put it through the cord. Then I just cut them off.
I put three wires in main cable (1 for ground, 1 for right canal and the last one for left) and two in each cable leading to the earphone.
After that I soldered wires to the 3,5mm jack and sealed them with heat shrink tube (there's a plastic jack in photos, but later I changed it for a golden one).
Next step is to attach a new wires to speakers. Then connect the ground wires from headphones to the ground wire from jack and each wire to the desired canal (it doesn't matter at all if you change right and left canal, you'll just turn headphones 180°.. but I added a description to the photo ;) ).
Now you can seal the speakers inside the headphones. IDEAL headphones can be unscrewed, so it's easy and they can be repaired if necessary, but it will depend on which model you have.
Padding
Now to the "soft" part.
I wanted to make "donuts" for a softer touch between ears and headphones, but instead of that I used some foam I ordered from internet about 1$ including shipping (seller said they were fake portapro foams).
Maybe I'll upgrade it later with these "donuts" :)
I also made the headphones bridge softer. I made a "pocket" from woolcloth and leather and stuffed it with some foam.
As a cool feature I embroidered a sign onto it (I chose "Eldalote's custom" :D )
Aaand, when we speak about foam I almost forgot one thing! I also put a small piece of foam inside the headphones to secure the speakers better in the frame. But I guess it's not as necessary.
I wanted to make "donuts" for a softer touch between ears and headphones, but instead of that I used some foam I ordered from internet about 1$ including shipping (seller said they were fake portapro foams).
Maybe I'll upgrade it later with these "donuts" :)
I also made the headphones bridge softer. I made a "pocket" from woolcloth and leather and stuffed it with some foam.
As a cool feature I embroidered a sign onto it (I chose "Eldalote's custom" :D )
Aaand, when we speak about foam I almost forgot one thing! I also put a small piece of foam inside the headphones to secure the speakers better in the frame. But I guess it's not as necessary.
Finish
We're going to the finish line!
Now just fix some details and do the last touches. For example I painted the metal frame and changed the blue dots to red ones. I also secured the wires leading from headphones with some hot glue and then paint it black.
When you consider yourself a finished, take your "new" headphones, sit comfortably, listen to some epic music and reward yourself with that awesome feeling from a well done job!
Hope you like this instructable!
If you have any questions just write me.
I'll be glad for comments! :)
Now just fix some details and do the last touches. For example I painted the metal frame and changed the blue dots to red ones. I also secured the wires leading from headphones with some hot glue and then paint it black.
When you consider yourself a finished, take your "new" headphones, sit comfortably, listen to some epic music and reward yourself with that awesome feeling from a well done job!
Hope you like this instructable!
If you have any questions just write me.
I'll be glad for comments! :)