With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

--
ha

hank alrich wrote:
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It's not regular Litz wire either! It's woven with nylon strands in it
too, which is why it gets more brittle when you solder the ends.

The idea is that it's supposed to be extremely flexible but also be almost
impossible to rip or tear. And it works well enough for that, but you
can't solder it reliably so the factory connections are usually crimped.
The crimps sure _can_ rip and tear.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:59:36 GMT, (hank alrich)
wrote:

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

True Litz wire is even worse, but fine wires are used because they're
limp. I get that way if I've been drinking too much of an evening.
Breaks of the game; we're not nineteen.

Chris Hornbeck
"Hum is more than just not knowing the words." -ha

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:59:36 GMT, (hank alrich)
wrote:

With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It isn't Litz wire - it is called tinsel wire, and the reason it is
used is that it is mega flexible, and won't work harden and break in
use as ordinary copper wire would.

d

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

"hank alrich" wrote in message
.. .
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.


I don't know if strictly speaking it is actually 'Litz' wire, but the idea
is for flexibiliity without fatiguing the wire (and subsequent premature
failure).

geoff

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message
...
hank alrich wrote:
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It's not regular Litz wire either! It's woven with nylon strands in it
too, which is why it gets more brittle when you solder the ends.

The idea is that it's supposed to be extremely flexible but also be almost
impossible to rip or tear. And it works well enough for that, but you
can't solder it reliably so the factory connections are usually crimped.
The crimps sure _can_ rip and tear.


If you use a very hot iron for around 20 sec, I find that the nylon tends to
burn sufficiently 'completely' away.

geoff

Don Pearce wrote:
On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 23:59:36 GMT, (hank alrich)
wrote:

With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I
lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working,
but it did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't
lots of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It isn't Litz wire - it is called tinsel wire, and the reason it is
used is that it is mega flexible, and won't work harden and break in
use as ordinary copper wire would.

Bingo!

This stuff has been around for decades. I think I found it in WW2
vintage headphones and mics.

In article , Geoff Wood wrote:

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message
...
hank alrich wrote:
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It's not regular Litz wire either! It's woven with nylon strands in it
too, which is why it gets more brittle when you solder the ends.

The idea is that it's supposed to be extremely flexible but also be almost
impossible to rip or tear. And it works well enough for that, but you
can't solder it reliably so the factory connections are usually crimped.
The crimps sure _can_ rip and tear.

If you use a very hot iron for around 20 sec, I find that the nylon tends to
burn sufficiently 'completely' away.

Right, but with the nylon gone, you are left with very fragile and thin
wires. At the solder join there is no nylon support, so the cable is
very apt to break there.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Scott Dorsey wrote:
In article , Geoff Wood
wrote:

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message
...
hank alrich wrote:
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I
have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I
lit each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and
then scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was
working, but it did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly
isn't
lots of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It's not regular Litz wire either! It's woven with nylon strands
in it too, which is why it gets more brittle when you solder the
ends.

The idea is that it's supposed to be extremely flexible but also
be
almost impossible to rip or tear. And it works well enough for
that, but you can't solder it reliably so the factory connections
are usually crimped. The crimps sure _can_ rip and tear.

If you use a very hot iron for around 20 sec, I find that the nylon
tends to burn sufficiently 'completely' away.

Right, but with the nylon gone, you are left with very fragile and
thin wires. At the solder join there is no nylon support, so the
cable is
very apt to break there.

My recollection is that litz wire is rarely soldered, but usually
crimped.

In article , (Scott Dorsey)
wrote:

hank alrich wrote:
With the help of RAPsters via Google's Advanced Group Search I have
successfully repaired a set of A-T headphones. No MEK here, so I lit
each wire end with a match and then dipped 'em in acetone and then
scrubbed 'em with Q-Tips. I didn't think the tinning was working, but it
did, and the phones work fine.

But why is Litz wire used for this application? It certainly isn't lots
of fun to fix things when connecting this stuff is desired.

It's not regular Litz wire either! It's woven with nylon strands in it
too, which is why it gets more brittle when you solder the ends.

The idea is that it's supposed to be extremely flexible but also be almost
impossible to rip or tear. And it works well enough for that, but you
can't solder it reliably so the factory connections are usually crimped.
The crimps sure _can_ rip and tear.
--scott


I've repaired dozens of Sony MDR-V6 and 7506 phones just by dipping the end of
the wire in molten solder until it tins. It does stiffen the wire, but since
it's inside the plastic headphone housing or after the TRS strain relief that
doesn't seem to be a problem.

-Jay
--
x------- Jay Kadis ------- x---- Jay's Attic Studio ------x
x Lecturer, Audio Engineer x Dexter Records x
x CCRMA, Stanford University x http://www.offbeats.com/ x
x---------- http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jay/ ------------x

"Scott Dorsey" wrote in message
...

Right, but with the nylon gone, you are left with very fragile and thin
wires. At the solder join there is no nylon support, so the cable is
very apt to break there.

Yeah. That's why I always arrange some mechanical support/reinforcement.

geoff

In article writes:

I've repaired dozens of Sony MDR-V6 and 7506 phones just by dipping the end of
the wire in molten solder until it tins.

Dipping the wire in liquid flux before soldering is also helpful when
tinning this sort of wire.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo