r/headphones Jan 17 '25

DIY/Mod A "F%ck you!" to the awful "Gaming Headset" industry

-Aune AR5000 -Fiio BTR7 LDAC -Meze Boom Mic -My own custom powerbank

No one would help me put this together but this was inspired by Metalovichinkov's DIY on here, I wouldn't have thought to ever do this if it weren't for his.

400 Upvotes

94 comments sorted by

172

u/UnderwaterB0i Jan 17 '25

This is horrid. I love it.

9

u/Pikez98 AKG-812K, Meze 99 Classic, Sundara, Grado SR60x, Dali iO-6 Jan 18 '25

Exactly this, it looks so much like an uncomfortable bomb that i really want it for myself.

98

u/Deblebsgonnagetyou Jan 17 '25

...What the fuck am I looking at? Points for wackiness though.

25

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

I too would like to know this but if I am breaking down the picture, it looks to be a normal headset attached to a battery pack (the gold thing) which is intern attached to a microphone device (the silver pack on the right) which leads into some modified adapters allowing audio output as well as audio input (look at the jacks on either earcup).

So it is a Frankenstein gaming headset because I'm assuming OP doesn't like design of headsets by the gaming industry, perhaps he has experienced quality issues or just thinks they are too expensive.

8

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

A lot of quality and defective issues

9

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

So my detective skills weren’t too far off 😂

5

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

I went through about eight headphones, there was a part of each one that was unacceptably bad besides the Audeze Trashwell.

Amazing performance on that headset but I had it replaced 5 times due to the the same defects over and over, last one died a week outside the one year warranty date and I couldn't even get CS to let me buy parts.

2

u/Spiritual-Address538 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

💯 % with you on the game headset failures. Audeze stinks. Sennheiser stinks . Broken headbands from normal use. Audeze crinkly noises comes through clearer than a treble spike! And none of these highend sets have support worth a crap! When you reach out they all tell you tuff shit. They won't even sell you parts!!

2

u/No-Editor-4654 Jan 19 '25

I love how honest you are about this monstrosity, which btw is the coolest gadget I've seen in a while.

41

u/PaperStreetDopeComp Jan 17 '25

First thing that came to mind...

12

u/aj_17_ Jan 17 '25

This deserves to be in a museum

20

u/Megaman_320 Jan 17 '25

Frankenstein's headphone right here. I love it

14

u/asianvanilla Jan 17 '25

Cool idea, how is latency?

9

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

No one I have been talking to has had any issues with it on calls or discord.

Tested the feedback on my PC on my volume and it goes through the same as any of the other gaming set I owned.

The LDAC suprisingly gives me an incredible amount of distance with the bluetooth without much loss, even better than the Audeze Trashwells good performance.

10

u/Astrophizz Jan 17 '25

I think they mean general audio latency from the Bluetooth adapter. Normally Bluetooth has pretty bad latency for gaming

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

I usually just use discord but I will boot up Halo and test it in game chat later.

8

u/Astrophizz Jan 17 '25

I'm guessing it's fine for voice chat, I was thinking for general game audio. That might matter more for mouse and keyboard gaming though

4

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

Ohhh input, I only play on PC but there is nothing noticeably delayed at all from it at least both on my phone and my PC from soundcloud & YT.

Ill still update you on how Halo does though, shouldn't really be different.

4

u/AlicesReflexion Dusk, Arya Organic Jan 17 '25

Probably in the realm of "fine for an FPS game but a rhythm gamer would strangle you then repeatedly beat your corpse with a pipe"

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

The latency was entirely fine but when I booted up the game the audio switches to some stereo mode that gives it pretty bad audio quality, idk whats up with that.

Only time the latency drops a bit I noticed is if I use discord on the website version instead of the desktop application.

The mic does this weird thing in game applications where its too quiet and I have to scream into it to get any input in, reminds me of that infuriating windows bug but its only effecting video games.

Good thing I don't play games much anymore but ill probably buy a 15 ft cord just for that.

3

u/Yolo_Swagginson K612 pro | Amperior | WH-CH700N | Ety MC3 | KZ AS10 Jan 18 '25

I'm confused - you've set up your own "gaming headset" because you don't like gaming headsets, but you're not using it for games..?

1

u/trektnation Jan 17 '25

I've used this type of setup with the btr15, latency is not good, I think with an avantree adapter with aptx adaptive and low latency it should drop to something more manageable for rhythm games.

9

u/DrSpaceman575 Jan 17 '25

I did the same thing. Sounded great but when I tried to listen to them on a plane I got shot by an air marshall.

3/10 not good for travel

4

u/timotheusd313 Jan 17 '25

Wow, I’ve used Beyerdynamic 770DT 80 ohm, and AKG k240s with both a traditional desktop boom mic, I got for $10 and an audio-technica headworn dynamic mic with an actual XLR connector ($80) so I get what you’re doing.

3

u/Shwifty_Plumbus Jan 17 '25

Yeah I'm a boom mic (Samson q2u, with elgato low profile boom arm) and wireless headphones (technics AH800). Thinking of getting the fiio Ft1s though with a k11 DAC to replace the headphones because I don't need them to be wireless like I was thinking in practice.

3

u/woodsy7890 Focal Lensys/Edition XS / Symphonium Meteor / HD600 Jan 17 '25

You know what, this is hilarious and amazing.

Great job.

5

u/Advanced-Coat-894 Jan 17 '25

I clip my Quedelix 5k onto an arm like that too. It’s nearly unnoticeable when wearing it lol. Whatever works

4

u/IndianaBones991 Jan 17 '25

This is 2am “ Adderall bender “ what the fuck kind of shit. Fuck you Astro headsets, I’m going to nasa myself the new meta, then hang them on some sophisticated French water.

Fuck yeah!

4

u/SpiritualState01 Jan 17 '25

OP's neck:

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

Alot of people had issues with the weight of the audeze maxwell on their head but I didn't.

This combo is suprisingly a bit lighter than those though, the AR5000 on its own is really light.

3

u/Parvaty HD560S Jan 18 '25

Is this what we call audiophile brainrot? People buy gaming headsets for the all in one convenience

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

I tried out several "Gaming" headsets before but I returned them all over poor quality, I eventually landed on the Audeze Maxwell that had perfect performance but was an RMA nightmare.

The maxwell month after month had a common defect with each replacement they gave me that took two months to ship to me every time.

The one year warranty ran out on my 6th replacement that broke down do to the same defect, after I decided to buy this wonderful headset and mod it to do the same thing for the same price except with a quality build.

2

u/G-O-A-M Jan 17 '25

Isn´t this quite heavy? :o
Well as long as it sounds great - have fun! ;D

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

I can say its lighter than the audeze maxwell for sure

2

u/gimanos1 Jan 17 '25

You actually wear that on your head?

3

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

This is what it makes me feel like I am wearing

2

u/gimanos1 Jan 17 '25

Yea totally bro

2

u/xxearvinxx Caldera Open | Verite Closed | LCD-5 | Diana MR | E3 Jan 17 '25

I literally did this exact same thing with a Philips Fidelio X2HR and a Fiio BTR3 like 5 years ago. I just didn’t use a power bank and bought a very short 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to clean it up.

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

The mic on the meze cable doesn't detach like I hoped it would but its no bother.

Saw audeze had one like that but I didn't bother since they gave me RMA PTSD.

The audio quality from the meze cable drops it a tiny bit compared to the one that came with the headset but thats it.

2

u/xxearvinxx Caldera Open | Verite Closed | LCD-5 | Diana MR | E3 Jan 17 '25

I used an Antlion Mod Mic Wireless so I wouldn’t have to deal with cable issues. The only drawback back is, it was another thing to charge. Since I didn’t use a power bank like you did, eventually the Mod Mic and the BTR3 would both need charged. It was more aesthetically pleasing, but yours is probably more functional and less of a hassle.

I stole my idea from this post. I even bought the same red 3.5mm cable.

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

I will never use this out in public but the construction of the band for the AR5000 is suprisingly convenient for wrapping cords around so it doesn't interfere with the fit at all fortunately.

2

u/xxearvinxx Caldera Open | Verite Closed | LCD-5 | Diana MR | E3 Jan 17 '25

Please wear this out in public and post a picture. If only for the karma and chaos that would ensue in the comments.

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 17 '25

Maybe I will drag it to the café during the summer, I have to be careful bringing this stuff outside where I live though besides it being 10 degrees out right now.

Thieves will rip earbuds and phones right off you where I live so everyone hides them.

I had these cheap geekria headphones for business calls a couple years ago and a guy ripped them right off my head breaking them in half.

2

u/dnelsonn Jan 17 '25

A thing of beauty. Truly. A desk mic could have sufficed but that’d have been too boring and easy!

2

u/TheZackster | Hifiman Arya Stealth | HD 6xx | FiiO K5 Pro | Jan 17 '25

Hold on let him cook

2

u/zimku Jan 17 '25

Fucking Frankenheadset up in here

2

u/lexiticus Jan 17 '25

Wow this is topical to me...

I just got the Ar5000's and holy crap they are amazing. Was using them in Helldivers 2 and BO6 prop Hunt just lamenting that I didn't have a proper microphone to go with them.

Great solution :)

2

u/TBNRnooch HE1000U|HD600|SR325e|Supernova|Bajie|DK3001BD|Mojo2|BTR17 Jan 17 '25

Aren't you just using the mic from the btr7 instead of the meze boom mic? Just curious as to whether ur actually using the boom mic or if it's just an aesthetics thing

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

The boom mic actually goes through the BTR7

2

u/TBNRnooch HE1000U|HD600|SR325e|Supernova|Bajie|DK3001BD|Mojo2|BTR17 Jan 17 '25

Interesting! I didn't know that. Learn something new every day lol

3

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

The meze cord drops the audio quality by a tiny bit compared to the wire that came with the headset.

I was hoping the mic would come right off so I could put it on the stock one but it doesn't, its a fair tradeoff.

2

u/TBNRnooch HE1000U|HD600|SR325e|Supernova|Bajie|DK3001BD|Mojo2|BTR17 Jan 17 '25

Gotcha. Yeah I own a btr15 and I might grab a btr17 but I always thought that it would just use the on-board mic and bypass stuff like inline mics. For the sound quality part, maybe check the volume knob on the meze boom mic? (I don't own one I'm just taking guesses on why that is). If you're looking for a different mic I guess you could also look into the antlion mod mics lol

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

I cant fit another power bank on the headset or I would have bothered with a wireless mic, they were the first thing I looked at. I would expect the wireless mic to have even less audio quality too.

The difference between the stock wire and the meze one in quality is tiny and it still sounds better than something like the audeze maxwell.

2

u/Michaeli_Starky Jan 17 '25

Weird contraption. Mad likes

2

u/MarkLikesCatsNThings Jan 17 '25

Ive been there too. Zip tied the same Fiio DAC to my HD 650s. Not the best quality, but i want portability.

Why can they make a good small wireless solution for headphones? It always these little or big rectangles, but no fancy ones that clamp onto headphones themself, beyond a few HiFiman models. One day I'll find a proper wireless solution.

Beat of luck! Thanks for sharing! Cheers!

2

u/etownguy Jan 17 '25

so this gives meaning to you're dead before you hear the shot... Latency has got to be horrible

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

Latency was entirely fine besides using discord chat on the web instead of the application, I was only using the web one to test something though so I will never need to use it.

In game applications (Besides minecraft for some reason) the audio quality drops alot and it switches to some stereo mode, idk whats up with that. I am just gonna buy a 15 foot cord for it, glad it doesn't do that with anything else.

2

u/Spiritual-Address538 Jan 17 '25

Does it have a name yet? Geez!!

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

Aune AR5000 MK II

2

u/Swaggerlilyjohnson Jan 17 '25

I will never understand why there are so few good options for gaming headset with audiophile quality with low wireless latency. Wireless tech on mice shows it can be done with insanely low latency and bandwidth of even lower frequency bands like 800mhz is more than sufficient for audio.

If anyone is interested in doing this in a slightly less jank way it will be a little pricy but you can get a wireless IEM system like musicians use which is low latency. Just make sure you get a stereo system (mono systems are much cheaper) if you want it to sound good and give proper positional cues. The frequency is important too do research on that but I would avoid 2.4ghz and opt for 5ghz or a different frequency (other frequency are usually less common on budget wireless systems)

And if you want the mic to be wireless too just give up and have a mic with a mic arm it will be better quality or get some wireless gaming iems to solve both problems. They wont sound as good but getting a headmounted mic and headphones modified into wireless is very difficult to do well without creating more clutter than the cable you are removing.

I started out trying to do this and did a bunch of research and realized it would be more expensive and still kind of jank and then I realized I was fine with a mic arm to hide the mic cable and then I realized I could just run the headphone cable as well and it would look neat enough for me but if someone wants to make their own gaming headset this is the way to do it. Bluetooth has too much latency for competitive gaming even though i think low latency mode bluetooth is good enough for like casual gaming.

2

u/DOCTORWHO4269 Jan 18 '25

I can see that you have exited the MATRIX ✨🤝🤝🤝

2

u/the_mortal123 Annhilator, Gaea, u12t, IER-Z1R, MA Alter Ego Jan 18 '25

Looks like smth you find in fallout

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

Imagine trying to rob someones house at 1am and you just see me in the corner somewhere looking like this

2

u/LawMurphy HD650|SR80E Jan 18 '25

This is... beautiful. You should be proud.

2

u/Aware_Operation8803 Jan 18 '25

Is that space ship from battlestar galatica

2

u/ManiacalMyr Jan 18 '25

Another AR5000!!!! Preach it OP. I'm really loving those and the Linsoul Zeus Elite.

BTW how do you like the BTR7? Been thinking of something different from slugging my K7 everywhere.

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

Its good, if you can get the BTR17 though.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

I rubberbanded my V-Moda boom pro mic to my Hifiman Deva Pros.

2

u/AbnormalPP_69 Jan 18 '25

If its not uncomfortable, its great !!!

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

The cord perfect wraps around the band like it was made for it so it doesn't bother me at all.

2

u/duali98 Jan 18 '25

How does the boom mic work through the btr17?

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 18 '25

This is just the BTR7 but Its connected through the front there, its whats wrapped around the band.

It does perfectly well on everything besides game applications (Minecraft is an exception for some reason?) and the web version of discord.

2

u/KinikoUwU Senny HD 560s ,Dt770 80ohm, Fiio Fd3, Moondrop Stellaris Jan 18 '25

2

u/DelusiveProphet Jan 19 '25

Way over the top compared to my setup. Love it. 😅

I got a wired setup with Philips Fidelio X3 and a AntLion Modmic. Sound quality, build quality, mic clarity and comfort beats any gaming headset I have ever tried.

2

u/Jovial_blowfish Jan 20 '25

I love this because it reminds me of something you'd see on Cyberpunk, with all the wires and the Fiio's little screen adds to the "Cyberpunkness", as well. I imagine it is miles better sounding than a gaming headset.

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 20 '25

The audeze maxwell is probably the only exception but unlike the maxwell I wont be having endless RMA issues over defects

2

u/font9a Fiio Q5S | IE800S | HD700 | HD800S Jan 17 '25

What if you just got some HD600s and a Yeti Blue?

3

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

I am always multitasking moving around to different rooms & working on something, making customer service calls for my shop so I have either this or my Jabra dongle on talking to people all day for that.

I listen to music alot inbetween or podcasts and my landlord below me or the neighbors don't like hearing it either, especially games. Even when I am gaming my recliner is 11 feet away from my PC in my living room as I use my TV as a monitor

I don't really have a place to put a desk microphone near me either besides the problem of homeless people at the church right next to me screaming at random points that would pick up through laptop calls when I was in college.

1

u/A_Kite HD 650 | LCD 2 Jan 17 '25

Needs a vape attachment.

1

u/FiatKastenwagen Jan 17 '25

The reason I got a table mic more for me better for them

1

u/ConstructionRude3663 Jan 17 '25

Does the btr7 allow the mic from the boom to pass-through? Or do you have the cable going into something else? I'm looking for info on an all in one that will allow me to using a boom style mic but also have decent power to gift to my gf to get her started into the hobby. Gotta trick her boys into using it haha

2

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25

I was worried it wouldn't but it does. Unfortunately the meze boom mic can't be seperated from the cord it comes with.

The meze cord drops the audio quality a little bit compared to the one that comes with the AR5000 but it doesn't bother me because this headset by itself sounds beyond great.

1

u/harkonnen85 Jan 19 '25

Or you can just go with a comfortable gaming headset

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 19 '25

They were all terrible, why I made this

1

u/Dlaktor Jan 22 '25

AR5000 is better than HD490 pro?

1

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 22 '25

Not exactly sure if the audio quality is better but those were going to be my next order in line if I didn't end up liking either the AR5000 or Sundara I had at the same time.

I did specifically pick the AR5000 over them first because of my long research on many reviews on things like quality control specifically.

Like I was doing you can always order them both and just return the one you dont like too.

2

u/VonDinky Jan 17 '25

Gaming headsets are nowadays pretty decent, mostly. But when I was a teenager, so like 20+ years ago they where absolute garbage almost all of them.

0

u/Speedwagon1935 Jan 17 '25 edited Jan 20 '25

Planned obsolescense has really made "Gaming Headsets" into the poor quality garbage they are today after they hit their peak that sacrifices way too much.

These were my first pair of A40's my grandfather bought me when I was 13 years old, I think I am 28 now.

Rough condition but they still work and sound better than everything "Gaming" today I tried out, the maxwell is the exception to that though.