Headphone Repair
Jay's Headphone Repair — Currently Closed
What I Do Now
JAMbrose is my current focus — smart home and AV integration for private residences, commercial sound systems for restaurants and venues, and production sound work for film and TV.
What this was
From 2011 to 2020, I ran a one-on-one headphone and audio equipment repair service out of Brooklyn — soldering, cable splicing, driver and headband replacement, the works. It started with a New Year's Eve favor at Balthazar and grew from there into thousands of repairs over the years.
I closed up shop in 2020. Running it safely through the pandemic wasn't realistic, and between how labor-intensive the work is and the rising cost of space, materials, and help in New York, it stopped making sense to keep going as its own business. That hands-on troubleshooting experience is a big part of what led me into AV and smart home work, which is what I focus on now at JAMbrose.
I still hear from people looking for repair help from time to time, so I'm slowly turning this page into a resource — tips, common fixes, and links to parts — for anyone trying to repair their own gear.
For Anyone Repairing Their Own Gear
Where I Sourced Parts
For most repairs I ordered replacement drivers, cables, and hardware through Dale Pro Audio and B&H. For brand-specific parts — Sony, Sennheiser, Grado — I'd usually contact the manufacturer directly. Beats and Bose were both harder: neither had a real official parts channel, so I'd salvage components from other broken pairs I found online or that people donated. Beats were actually the most common headphone I got in for repair, and over time I found reliable sources for speakers, circuit boards, and the outer plastic housing pieces that broke so easily.
Tinning Wire & Replacing Plugs
Headphone wire is usually coated in a thin lacquer that a regular wire stripper can't clean off without damaging the strands underneath. A solder pot with Kester solder solves this — dip the wire tip straight in, and the heat burns off the coating and tins the strands in one step, ready to solder onto a new plug or driver. Replacing an audio plug is mostly about keeping the channels straight (tip / ring / sleeve) and getting a clean, shiny joint on each connection.
A couple of videos that show the technique well:
Press
Also featured as a studio musician at BB4 Studios.
Looking for AV or smart home help instead?
That's what I focus on now.
jay@jayambrose.com