I'm going to need to repair these headphones soon because the cheap plastic has already been broken through where the wires are showing and will soon probably break.
Would taping these work or maybe taking a lighter and melting the plastic back together ? There's already a gap in the cord where the wires are exposed and not sure if using tape would help fix the problem or maybe I should try melting and infuse the cord back together ...
I call these cheap things, Poverty headphones. This means that these things were made with the cheapest of materials for those living poorly ...
Hi GoofKing,
If you can still hear sound through them, wrap the damaged area in electrical tape and that may reduce the wear & tear so they won't fail so soon ... I don't know how severe yours are, but mine have been wrapped for a couple of weeks where I saw little kitty tooth-marks, but the sound was still fine. If the sound is already intermittent or failing, they're pretty much a lost cause.
Geek warning ahead: when I got my first iPod in 2004, everyone wanted white headphones even if they didn't have an iPod ... I guess they thought it looked trendy. Over the next few years the trend has reversed completely, so that almost no one uses the included white Apple earbuds, claiming the sound quality isn't very good. I'm not an audiophile, they're good enough for me, and better than anything else I can afford. Apple would charge almost $30 for them, but I could usually find them cheaper on twitter or eBay from people who had a stack piled up that they wouldn't use. About a year ago Apple switched to these ridiculous 'EarPods' that won't stay in my ears, so I went to twitter/eBay and bought a few pairs of the previous earbuds for around $10 each, and they tend to last me about a year (if the kittens don't get ahold of them). Make sure they're actually made by Apple, though ... there are loads for $2 or less, but they're cheaply made knockoffs that sometimes don't work at all, so check the item reviews. Be very careful with the details, though, if a feature isn't explicitly mentioned (like mic or volume control) then it probably doesn't have it.
Now that I think about it, do you need the mic or volume control? If not, I have a few pairs that I can't use ... I need the mic because I can't stand to hold the phone to my ear. For the cost of shipping I'd be happy to send them to you (no insurance, regular mail, shouldn't be more than a few dollars). If you're interested, send me a private message and we'll chat.
Hope this helps,
Kassie
PS: I would definitely *not* recommend the lighter method.