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DIY Headphones socket.

22 replies · 6,423 views · Started 22 August 2002

SwitchBlade 22 Aug 2002, 16:53

I've just had the pleasure today of making my own headphone socked for my 9210, I know people asked about this kinda thing before and it was never really explained so here goes.

First we need to look at the relevant pin-out of the 9210:
User posted image

Labeled are the only pins we need.
1: Ground
2: Headphone live
3: Microphone live

Now plugs that clip into the 9210 can be bought from here for $6 or a little over 6EUR.

In my case I used a stereo Mini-jack socket rather than put headphones straight into it as this will allow me to change the headphones I use with the device or allow the use of powered speakers.

User posted imageUser posted image
Here you can see my unit connected to the 9210 with the wires showing after soldering, and in the other pic after taping up.

The pin connections are fairly obvious, but for those who need a hand:
1) connect the ground of the phone to the ground (outer) prong of the socket.
2) connect the headphone live to BOTH the live (inner) prongs of the socket.

By now you can listen to audio from the 9210 on a set of headphones but the sound still comes out of the phone, to solve this we....
3) connect the microphone live to the ground. This sends an unwavering message of silence to the 9210.

Once you have completed this wiring and connected to your 9210 you should get this response:
User posted imageUser posted image
Telling you that the headset is connected.

And there you have it, the surprisingly simple way of making headphones for your 9210 meaning you no longer need to put up with a mono headset when using the 9210 as an MP3/RM walkman. Obviously the audio signal is still mono, but atleast both ears hear the signal, which means you don't strain to hear the music.

And as always when you do some DIY there's bits left over:
User posted image

Hope this helps people, though I may just be the last person to have done this, and be miles behind everyone else.

rossar 22 Aug 2002, 19:03

I've done something similar, i cut the headphone jack off of a normal set of stereo headphones and attached a jack from the hands free kit.The mono signal is routed through both headphones-it works but at full volume you can only just hear your music.Does your method work any better?

SwitchBlade 22 Aug 2002, 22:13

I have it at Vol 3 in realplayer and it's plenty loud enough, max volume isn't a huge amount louder and doesn't challenge my MiniDisc walkman but it does the job and is perfectly audable. I do miss the MiniDisc's ability for the bass to blow my eardrums out.

This is a fast make jobby as I'm going to Belgium tomorrow and wanted to be able to watch a film on the 9210 on the coach, I plan to upgrade it later with an internal amplifier in order to get a better sound.

SwitchBlade 25 Aug 2002, 19:57

I'm back in England now and all I can really say about Belgium is that it's very strange. From where I was staying (near a small town called Westerlo) everything seemed very spaced out and sooooo clean. From walking round for an hour and a half I don't think I ever saw 2 houses that looked the same, it's like an architect was hired and told to design a street and make sure that every house was different. I don't know if it's just that area, but driving through other towns I saw similar design ideas. I also found it odd to see so many people on bicycles and odder to see young people riding round on bikes that weren't mountain bikes. The people I met in bars and shops seemed very friendly and open which was nice, though I got some odd looks from some older locals as I walked round (in my trenchcoat and sunglasses).

All in all I enjoyed it, wasn't really there long enough to get to see a lot, and the beer made me rather ill along with quite a few others in my party. The people were friendly, but in all I got the idea that compared to England it was sort of a step back from civilisation (in a similar way to camping in a tent or caravan is). My town is a moderately small sized one, 2-3miles across and 50,000 people and is very busy, and how quiet and spaced out things were was amazing. The landscapes and plantlife were beautiful. I went 3 days without chocolate because I couldn't find a chocolate bar I liked (I'm a mild chocoholic) and that was the first thing I bought on the ferry back home :-?

In a sentence, nice country and I'd like to live there, but there are too many aspects of England I'd like to take with me.

Dazler 25 Aug 2002, 20:09

Hehe 😊
you've got to know the country to find what you want 😉 (got chocolate at every corner 😉 )
Indeed the moutainbike hype is far in the past here 😊

What can we say; Home sweet home 😊

SwitchBlade 25 Aug 2002, 20:22

Being as the only day I could get out to buy any was Sunday I assumed the best place would be a newsagents (here there are innumerable amounts of chocolate bars in newsagents) but the only one we found had a selection of 8 bars 😞. But like you say you need to grow up somewhere to be able to understand where to find things and why.

rossar 26 Aug 2002, 23:28

Using my method i can only just hear sound at full volume on realplayer, any background noise ruins this.I think i'll give you method a try.

[/quote]I plan to upgrade it later with an internal amplifier in order to get a better sound.[/quote]

Let me know how you get on with making an internal amplifier.

SwitchBlade 27 Aug 2002, 01:51

oops not much space in the 9210 it's an external amp I plan, lol.

I also noticed it is noisy and the only real difference between max and min volume is a small amount of volume and the body of the sound (more midrange/bass response at max). The options open are good powered amp which would be complex but shouldn't be noisy, or a cheap transister gain amp which may be noisey and less clear but less power needed.

Tomahawk 27 Aug 2002, 11:55

[quote="SwitchBlade"]Being as the only day I could get out to buy any was Sunday I assumed the best place would be a newsagents (here there are innumerable amounts of chocolate bars in newsagents) but the only one we found had a selection of 8 bars 😞. But like you say you need to grow up somewhere to be able to understand where to find things and why.[/quote]

Switchblade, you really need to try harder next time u go to Belgium - they make the best chocolates in the world over there. You need to find the specialists shops that do nothing else but chocolates. My personal favourites are Leonidas. Bring some home for your girlfriend - she'll think she has died and gone to heaven.

Do you think Rafe will be upset if we convert this site into a forum about chocolate?

SwitchBlade 27 Aug 2002, 13:52

I wandered for an hour and a half and didn't find a chocolate shop (which I did expect to), I found a newsagents, a hardware shop, a bakery, something that was a cross between a dehli and a butchers, and a few bars. Needless to say I was dissappointed being a mild chocoholic. 😞

Tomahawk 27 Aug 2002, 14:11

I am told that my addiction is a little more extreme than that. Next time you go to Belgium, Bruges is well worth a visit if you can make it - there are more chocolate shops there than you can shake a stick at. It is also spectacularly pretty. Alternatively, if you travel by road from Calais, about 1/2 mile inside Belgium is a place called Adinkirk (spelling may be a little iffy). There's a bunch of chocolate shops there as well.

SwitchBlade 27 Aug 2002, 14:14

Cheers locations noted 😊. Next year I plan on going to Germany which I think is probably one of the most beautiful countries I've been to. I might have to have a look-see and consider a de-tour 😉

Tomahawk 27 Aug 2002, 14:18

You can get good chocolate there as well, but not in the same league as Belgium. If you've been you probably know that they specialise in cakes and do some wondeful things with marzipan.

Ewan 27 Aug 2002, 14:21

No, the best sweet shop is called "Ben Ledi Cafe" in Callander, Perthshire, just north of Perth in Scotland. It's an old fashioned sweet shop with jars and jars and jars on the walls like something out of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Mmmmm...

Tomahawk 27 Aug 2002, 14:27

Another one for your list is Beaulieu Chocolates in Beaulieu in the New Forest in Hampshire. Hand made on the premises and virtually no marzipan - a lot of truffles and creams instead!

jcsickz 06 May 2003, 22:00

[quote="SwitchBlade"]
Now plugs that clip into the 9210 can be bought from here for $6 or a little over 6EUR.

[/quote]

that link doesnt work, where can I get one of the phone plugs in the usa?

jcsickz 12 May 2003, 17:40

[quote="rossar"]I've done something similar, i cut the headphone jack off of a normal set of stereo headphones and attached a jack from the hands free kit.The mono signal is routed through both headphones-it works but at full volume you can only just hear your music.Does your method work any better?[/quote]

i did the same, it wa my only option, but when I try to connect the mic live to the ground, it will work but I can't keep the connection solid... it keeps playiong sound out of the phone 😞 what to do?!?!