earphone cable?

Hi,
Don't know if this is the right group to put this topic in, but I'm
sure someone will tell me otherwise! ;-)

Does anyone know the name of the manufacturer, or where I can buy, a
drum or a couple of metres of the type of cable that earphones are made
from......I'll re-phrase that ! the wire/cable between the earphone and
the jack plug.

I DON'T want a cable assembly (i.e. with some sort of connector on each
end) I want a drum of the cable.

I must have looked at a hundred websites and I still can't find a cable
manufacturer that makes the correct size.

thanks in advance

 

What do you consider the best size? Every cable manufacturer makes
three core cable.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

 

http://www.newark.com/NewarkWebComm...nterconnect&No=0&N=0&Ntt=&Ntk=&comSearch=true

Or, find a surplus dealer and browse his wire department.

Have Fun!

 

Three core cable? eh?

Sorry you've lost me there !

I'm not sure what the cable is called, but from memory I think it's
something like dual miniture coax. Each coax is a single (stranded)
core with screen, and is approx. 1.6mm in diameter.

Just like the cable you get on a set of earphones you get with your
standard MP3 player.

Can you point me to a web address?

 

You don't need coax cable for earphones. Three core does very nicely -
one for ground, and the other two for left and right. You wont have
any problems with either hum or crosstalk.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

 

I read in sci.electronics.design that wrote

How about telling us what you consider the 'correct size' and whether
you have in mind a coaxial or figure-8 or some other type of cable?

 

Ah, I understand, and I agree with your point, but with a three core
single cable, you will have to split the left and right wires from the
outer protective sheath, (and you will also have to split the single
ground core, thus making a 4 core cable -> 2 signal and 2 ground) when
routing to each of the earphones, you then loose the protection of the
outer sheath and you then have to re-sheath the ground and signal from
the split point.

Too much work, and the resulting cable assembly will probably exceed
the 1.6mm diameter for the single cable, and it would not have that
commercial "look" to it. If it was for personal use then I wouldn't be
too bothered about it, but the idea I have might sell, so I'd rather go
with the dual miniture coax.

thanks.

 

Hi John,

The 'correct size' is as I have said in a previous post, here's an
extract:

"....I'm not sure what the cable is called, but from memory I think
it's
something like dual miniture coax. Each coax is a single (stranded)
core with screen, and is approx. 1.6mm in diameter....."

and if anybody is still non-the-wiser as to what type of cable I am
talking about, here's another extract from the same previous post:

".....Just like the cable you get on a set of earphones you get with
your standard MP3 player...."

I'm sure everybody has a set of earphone of one type or another! This
should give someone an idea of the type of cable I'm talking about?!?

Sorry if I sound a little sarcastic, but I thought this would be an
easy post....silly me ;-)

thanks again.

 

It is amazing how many things you assume as given don't even enter
into other people's thinking.

In Usenet, unless you are specific, expect what you get.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

 

I think he is describing a 'Y' configured cable that physically splits
at a point for each earphone.

Only manufacturers seem to have these custom made for their products.

Buy some 2 and 3 condcutor cable, some heat shrink tubing, and learn to
solder. You have to make your own.

 

I read in sci.electronics.design that wrote

The posts are overlapping; I saw your data after posting my question. I
don't know where you can get that cable: it's probably made in China.
I've found some samples to be of very poor quality - the copper wire is
dirty and tarnished and, I suspect, impure, because it breaks very
easily.

 

Hi Luhan,

Yes, my descriptive powers are lacking it seems )...note to myself,
must go back to school !

Yes, it is a 'Y' configured cable, that physically splits at a point
for each earphone, IF the cable was a single core with 2 or 3
conductors inside this would be the case ! BUT I'm trying to source a
something with 2 miniture coaxes joined together........a bit like a 2
wire "ribbon cable" except each of the wires is a seperate coax, and to
get each coax to each earphone all you have to do is peel them
apart....then solder them to the earphone connections.....phew!

How hard is this then !!!??!!

p.s. I can solder...I'm even pretty good at surface mount re-work as
well

Again...thanks !!

;o)

 

Thanks John,

Yes, I just realised that also, I'm seeing all the updates pretty
quickly.

Well you've gotten a step closer than I have then, I've never even
found anyone to get a sample from.

I can't believe that the manufacturers of the earphones, actually make
the cable as well, they must get it from a cable manufacturer
somewhere, it would be so much easier to buy it in, than make it.

I think Taiwan would be a better bet, but only because they seem to
make everything else !!

regards !

 

How about one of these?
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q..._en&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=ff&oi=froogler

Good Luck!
Rich

 

Like this ?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=23037&doy=4m5&QV=Y


Graham

 

Able Wire makes ULTRA-FLEXIBLE MICRO-MINIATURE MULTI-CONDUCTOR CABLE
http://www.ablewire-cable.com/tables/250.html

Any of the 4 core versions should do what you want. Your
oversimplification of how you would go about splitting a single 4 core
cable into 2 separate 2 core units is a bit fanciful. You still have
to perform a 'Y' split where you divide the main cable going to each
earphone and you have to re-sleeve each of these 2 core units using
heatshrink in addition to adequately making the Y joint neat.

It can be done, but are you capable of doing it? Or is it too much
work?

 

Another good source of flexible wire and cable is Cooner Wire:
http://www.coonerwire.com/home.html

Neither Cooner nor any other wire/cable manufacturer I know of makes
cable like that used on Sony Walkman headphone cables as standard. I
had the misfortune of splicing one of these after my wife snipped it
with garden clippers. It was of zip-cord like construction such that
left and right cables easily peel apart. Each half contained two very
fine multistrand enameled copper wires (braided IIRC, red and clear
enamel one side and green and clear enamel on the other), which were
simply twisted together (depending totally on the very thin enamel for
insulation) and covered with a soft PVC jacket. Absolutely no PVC was
between the two wires on either side. The splice was a microscope
job. It would have been cheaper to buy an entire new Walkman if I
figured time spent splicing at my standard rate.

No doubt if the OP can come up with a reasonable spec he can get
someone to make it, assuming he is willing to pay big bucks for few
thousand feet of custom cable. Finding out who supplies Sony etc.
with this stuff and getting them to sell a small amount could be tough
- not an internet job, more likely all day on the phone with
far-eastern cable manufacturers who can be expected to have very
little interest in small orders. How well can you bullshit in
Chinese?

 

You've got to search for the right thing to begin with.

Coaxial cable is usually manufactured to give a specific impedance, and is
usually used for RF or wideband signals like video.

What you want is some paired screened cable. Someone here posted a link to
Maplin (in the UK, and seeing as that is where you seem to be too, that
shouldn't be a problem), but by the quick glance wasn't quite the right
stuff (it said good for phono leads, which in my mind meant was too thick
for your use).

Try that Maplin link again, and scratch around there (or rswww.com).

Also, drop the sarcasm, the world doesn't appreciate tantrums.

 

rswww.com item 367-189
but still probably too big for you.

 

Unfortunately they don't appear to give the dimensions.

I have certainly in the very distant past got the miniature figure 8 stuff
from RS. They only sell cable by the reel though.

Graham