[SOLVED] Repair of Wiring (?) High Quality Headset with USB connector for Skype...Possible

Hello All:

[New member, first post etc.]

Question #1 I have a $100.00 Dynex headset with mic that I use for Skype. I noticed that the volume decreased to about half, and sometimes the volume jumps up and drops. Sometimes it sounds like speech underwater.


So today, I bought a Logitech headset (h540) for $49.00 and it works great, plus the wire is about 6 or 7 times as thick as the original Dynex Headset.

So, is there anyway that a hobbyist in electronics like me, can replace the wiring of the Dynex Headset?

At my local Electronic supply, they don't sell a similar wire. I don't know what specs for wire exist. I could go to Mouser right?.

I am totally prepared to "rip" this headset apart and rewire this to the USB connector. I don't mind some kind of ugly "Jerry-Rigging" if I can get a reliable headset out of the effort. Does anyone know anything about this kind of thing?


Question #2 What about conversion of a 3.5 mm stereo jack to work from that kind of headset by an "adapter" to USB connector?

.

It sounds like the problem is the earphone ground has an intermitent connection. Normally in a headset there are two wires from each earphone to the jack, one from each is ground, the other from each carries the audio. If the ground becomes disconnected instead of each ear hearing the sound it's supposed to, they both hear only the difference between left and right channels. It sounds quieter and all spacial information is lost.

Before going into how to fix it, what connectors are on the Dynex headset a the moment?

Brian.

betwixt said:

It sounds like the problem is the earphone ground has an intermitent connection. Normally in a headset there are two wires from each earphone to the jack, one from each is ground, the other from each carries the audio. If the ground becomes disconnected instead of each ear hearing the sound it's supposed to, they both hear only the difference between left and right channels. It sounds quieter and all spacial information is lost.

Before going into how to fix it, what connectors are on the Dynex headset a the moment?

Brian.

Click to expand...

Thank you Brian. It has a USB connector.....to single wire....to left side ear phone plastic casing.

there appears to be no easy entry here. I just now pulled on the small ear phone pad and it had a plastic nub that pulled out of a slot.
From USB side is a very fine red wire and orange wire and a third in heavier black insulation, just like the outside wires. One black wire
passes on up through the plastic headset to the opposite ear.




2 Black wires coming from the USB side pass directly into the left headset ear pad that I pulled, and it looks like I see a silvery mounted speaker there. I wonder if I could rewire all of this myself with less fragile? I don't mind tearing apart the entire set just to see how it works!


I pulled off the opposite ear pad piece, and it has only the single black wire passing into the pad and connecting ( I guess) to the speaker).



.

For it to work as a USB device it has to have a controlled IC somewhere, it might be inside the plug itself or it could be inside the headset. If the plug looks bigger than a normal USB one, or if there is a small box in line with the cable that would be where the IC is housed. In any case, the USB side of the circuit must be working as it carries the audio to the headset and the audio back from the microphone down the same wires so if one failed so would the other and you would probably see "device failed" messages on the screen as well. The fault seems to be in the wire linking the two earphones and I would guess one has broken due to flexing it as the earphones have been adjusted or twisted. Can you post a photograph of the disassembled earphone so I can see what is inside it? I'm particularly interested in where to USB chip is as that determines the place where the microphone and earphone signals split apart from each other.

Brian.

Brian:

Thanks. Sadly, I am mostly from the Analog generation, and I never learned how to post photos. I don't even take digital photos.

However, there is an inline oval of plastic in addition to the volume switch. I strongly suspect the IC Chip is there.
I would be willing to rebuild this entire thing, even if it requires getting another chip of the same or similar type.

.

Therein lies the problem - in almost all cases it isn't possible to buy replacement parts. The cost of custom parts or generic parts with custom coding is now so low that they can be made in small quantities for individual products. Unless the manufacturer carries spare parts it is highly unlikely you will find replacements and a 'DIY' design and build would be uneconomical and would require your own driver software for the computer interface.

However, don't give up hope yet! I still think the problem lies in the wiring between the IC and the earphones so if you can replace the two wires to each earphone, cutting and splicing into the existing wires if necessary, you can still try to repair it. The wire across the headband is probably nothing more than a thin two core cable so you can use a length of screened audio cable to replace it, the kind of cable used on microphones or for audio patch cables. Use the inner wire and the screen as the two conductors, it doesn't matter which you use but if possible keep the same side of the earphone connected back to the IC as before or you may get some phasing errors (loss of directon in the stereo image).

Brian.