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High Impedance Headphones

As built by ZS1JHG

If you are busy building or wish to build Crystal Sets then you will need a set of High Impedance

Headphones.

Crystal earpieces are available and work reasonably well but suffer from a number of
disadvantages. Hygiene,fall out easily, tiring and only sound in one ear.

The very best headphones are Balanced Armature but are not easily obtained

So here is the answer to the problem build your own High Impedance Headphones

using Piezo elements and a set of Ear Protection Muffs

The photo above shows all the parts needed to construct your piezo element headphones
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Parts

One set of safety Ear Muffs

Two large about 25/35mm piezo elements with leads

Two 1meg resistors

Thin RG 174 coax cable and microphone or other rubber covered cable

Cardboard about 1mm for mounting piezo elements

Build instructions

Strip down the Ear Muffs ie take off earpieces headstrap and foam inserts

Make a template on thin card of the inside of the earpiece just below the padded cuff

Trim your template to clip in underneath the padded cuff then transfer the outline from thin
card onto 1mm board and cutout.

Attach centred piezo elements to the 1mm board with thin foam double sided tape.

Make a hole in the 1mm board for the wires and pass them through the hole.

On the RHS earpiece shell two holes must be drilled. One for the earplug cable and one for

the earpiece connecting RG174 cable.

I suggest you drill the larger earplug cable hole near the bottom of the earpiece so the cable
hangs straight down. Make the hole a tight fit to help retain the cable .The smaller hole for the
RG174 should be drilled about 15 to 20mm above the headband pivot centre line.
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(The LHS earpiece shell only has the smaller hole 20mm above the pivot for the RG174
connecting coax.)

The earplug cable wire once connected to the 1meg ohm resistor and connecting RG174 coax

using heatshrink insulation can be attached to the shell of the earpiece sandwiched between
two layers of double sided tape.

The foam insert can be replaced after cutting a suitable slit to allow the piezo element wires to
reach the element. Insert the piezo element mounted on 1mm board under the padded cuff .

Connect the headband to both earpieces and thread the connecting cable RG174 over the top of
the headband leaving some slack at the pivot points to the LHS and RHS earpieces.

Now the LHS earpiece is completed with the RG174 cable being threaded into the earpiece shell

Attach cable ties to retain the connecting RG174 cable to the headband .

Note the piezo elements are connected in series so check that you are connecting to the
opposite colour wires on the LHS element.

Wire up the LHS earpiece with 1meg resistor and piezo element per circuit diagram.

Remember to use heatshrink insulation and complete by inserting foam suitably slit to allow
the wires to pass through to the piezo element mounted on its 1mm board, clipping it under the
padded cuff.

Add your selected type of earphone plug and you are ready to setup your High Impedance
headphones.

Setting up your High Impedance Headphones with your crystal set

Attach a variable 150K resistor trimpot across your headphone connection.

Adjust for best volume output and selectivity , measure the resistance and you can replace with
a fixed resistor ( In my case about 40k ohm resistance ).

Notes

More Info is available on the excellent website of Dave’s Homemade Crystal Radios

and Peebles Originals.

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Photo of completed High Impedance Headphones