Many headphones have a double wire coming out of the audio device and then they split into the two buds for your ears. The split can be pushed down as far as wanted because the two wires are stuck together with some weak adhesive. However, if you separate them too much, you can never stick them back together. Many speaker systems (at least for computers) suffer from similar problems.
Zipper wires are double wires which are connected by a small, inconspicuous zipper instead of glue so the two wires can be separated as far as necessary but then rezipped if needed. This makes dealing with the wires when you're packing up your headphones much more orderly and would be helpful for computer speakers if you were to rearrange your configuration.-- calculust, Jun 03 2003 Cable Mold Idea http://www.studiodo...mages/cablemold.htmAn illustration of a possible design (no zipper required). [Cedar Park, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] (?) Much simpler solution http://www.stereoheadphones.net/ [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] DIY Zipper-Case Earbuds http://lifehacker.c...-headphone-solution [xaviergisz, Aug 29 2010] BTW: It isn't glue. It's the rubber/neoprene molding that surrounds the wires. It's thin at the middle, and easy to tear.
I have an idea based on this concept. [link]-- Cedar Park, Jun 03 2003 Bolo tie-- thumbwax, Jun 03 2003 Zip-lock?
If you had a weaker zip-lock on the outsides of the twin-strand, you could coil the wires too.
This idea is sooooo bakeable.
IRTIHBOCTG* ... (+)
*I Regret That I Have But One Croissant To Give-- FloridaManatee, Jun 03 2003 It's a great idea. I'm stuck with connecting two cables together with duct tape when I need power and a coaxial cable leading to a camera. The cables end up sticky and kinked up, which reduces their lifespan and messes with the quality of the audio and video signals.-- -lines-, Jun 06 2003 [-lines-] The problems you are receiving with the audio and video are the exact reason this idea will often not work with cables from different devices, interference. I think this is a wonderful idea for speaker cables and the like which would normally be joined anyway (+), however I am against the universal system due to interference problems involved.-- evildman, Jun 06 2003 In most situations it's fine just to tie a knot in the cable. Pretty easy to undo if you need to, too.-- sild, Jun 06 2003 [sild]: If any audio engineer saw you do this to his/her cables, you'd be experiencing pain.-- Cedar Park, Jun 07 2003 great idea, would definitely work well. but i don't know anyone who's had that problem. why would anyone seperate them too much in the first place?-- flyfast, Jun 07 2003 In the case of headphones, why on earth do manufacturers always fit a Y-shaped cable? It's annoying and pointless.
Just have a single cable running to one earbud, then a second (thinner) cable running from there to the second earbud, like dis:
O_____O | | | | | | [] | This would be much less entanglogenic. The interbudiary wire would hang across the back of your head.
Also, this arrangement would obviate the need to constantly check which bud is left and which is right.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 30 2010 //like dis// You'd need a L<>R pan switch to even out noggin tilt.-- FlyingToaster, Aug 30 2010 random, halfbakery