Fixing a Broken Headphone Jack
Fri May 25, 2007 8:43AM EDT
See Comments (7)
Zach writes: My MP3 player is giving me problems. I figured out that it's the earphone jack. It is loose. How can I fix it?
If the earphone jack is on a notebook computer, then the easiest solution is to switch to a USB headset. You can even get a wireless USB model. USB connectors seem to have a much longer functioning life than headphone jacks. Logitech makes a USB headset unit for under $50.
But that doesn't help Zach since there are no USB headsets for MP3 players. You can go the Bluetooth route, though. For an iPod, you can use Logitech's wireless headphones for iPod. A transmitter attaches to the top of the iPod and transmits to your headphones. NaviPlay makes a similar device. If you use another MP3 player, Logitech makes the same basic headphones—the Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3. Just double check to make sure that your particular headset is supported.
If you'd rather keep using your headphone jack, you could take your MP3 player to a repair service. I made a few calls, and they'd probably charge you anywhere from $40 to $60 to do the work. But for those with endless time, not much money, or a natural curiosity about these things, there's always the DIY approach. Makezine, one of my favorite do-it-yourself treasure troves, has a step-by-step project guide for repairing loose headphone jacks. Not to be outdone, Creative Micro also has a step-by-step for repairing the Zen's headphone jack. Just remember that you can kiss any warranty you might have had goodbye.
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2 Posted by ytech_robinraskin on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse
I don't know how old you are, but there are certain parental control software packages that don't allow you to enter your credit card number. Vista has parental controls built in and a number of features that limit what you can do on the internet. I would head into the parental control options and Internet privacy settings. My guess is that something is telling Vista not to allow you to transmit a credit card number.
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3 Posted by brettmosleymaui on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse
You can always sell a broken or used iPod to www.buymybrokenipod.com. They pay very well and are very fast to pay.
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4 Posted by deppressedmonkey@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:41PM EDT Report Abuse
If you have a warranty, why open it up in the first place? You can just get it fixed. And no offense, but JacquieHenry, this is the wrong place to post a that question. Next time, try Yahoo Answers.
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5 Posted by jonathangrey@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:40PM EDT Report Abuse
How do I fix my headphones?? When plugged in halfway it works fine, when it's plugged in all the way I only hear sort of a far away sound with missing tracks....I know it's the headphoes because I tried it with different devices... thanks!
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1 Posted by jacquiehenry on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:27PM EDT Report Abuse
I don't know if this is where I can go to post a question. Anyway - my question is this. I have a new HP laptop with Vista. I can fill out online order forms to make purchases just fine - until it comes to tying in the credit card number. At that point - the keyboard just refuses to allow me to type it in. It doesn't matter if I am using Firefox or Internet Explorer. I have a wireless network. Could that be the problem? We have a desktop computer as well. I am not sure if that is connected wirelessly or not. I got the wireless connection to use with my laptop and I expect the tech who installed it only connected the laptop to the wireless router - not the desktop computer. HP online chat support told me to uninstall my keyboard driver, reboot the computer and try again. I am afraid to do that - especially since there are 2 keyboard drivers. I am afraid the keyboard will stop working altogether. It seems more like a security setting issue than a keyboard issue since the keyboard works normally for everything except credit card numbers. Can you help?