{"id":8276,"date":"2020-11-14T18:34:57","date_gmt":"2020-11-14T18:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8105\/?p=8276"},"modified":"2021-12-06T21:22:51","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T21:22:51","slug":"diy-gaming-headset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.shahada.abubakar.net\/?p=8276","title":{"rendered":"DIY Gaming Headset"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
A friend of mine recently\u00a0 bought a PS4 ( yes … weeks before the PS5 launch, but this was a pre-loved set for half the price) and we’ve been playing on-line together. Which means for the first time I’m using headaphones and a microphone while on my PS4.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I started out with the free AKG earbuds that came with my Samsung S8+. These are the only ones I have with a 4-part plug as used on the PS4. The AKG earbuds are of the in-the-ear type, and while they provide good noise isolation because they block most outside noise from your ears, when you speak, it feels like your talking underwater.\u00a0 That’s not an issue when listening to music, but is irritating when talking.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
But a bigger issue was that the microphone didn’t really do a good job of picking up my voice.\u00a0 In the heat of battle we’d often be screaming “what? say again! I can’t hear you!”.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\"Up<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
It turns out that while most microphones (even at the lower end of the market) are quite capable at capturing gaming speech,\u00a0 the positioning<\/i>\u00a0 of the microphone has a large impact on how well they perform. With the inline microphones, they’re dependent on where the cable dangles. The ideal position for a microphone is directly in front or close to the front of your mouth, and the inline microphones on these types of earbuds struggle with that.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Most gaming headphones (and even aviation headphones, come to think of it) have the microphone on a flexible or swing arm, where it can be placed directly close to the front of your mouth. I could just buy one of those and end the story here. You can get them as cheap as RM10, so money is not an issue.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
However, to address the “speaking while underwater” issue, I also want a pair of headphones that are “open-backed”.\u00a0 Open-backed means the outside cover of the headphone will allow air to pass through. This lets you hear the ambient sound, including the external sound of your voice (as opposed to just the “internal” sound of your voice, which leads to that “underwater” problem).\u00a0 I also want open-back headphones that are sensitive enough to play sounds loudly, as, unlike closed-back headphones or in-the-ear earbuds, the sounds from the headphones\u00a0 has to compete with ambient sounds too.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Since I already own more headphones than I have ears, I was reluctant to buy\u00a0 yet another pair (of headphones). Somewhere at the back of my collection of headphones and earbuds is a Philips SHP-805<\/a> which I “inherited” a long time ago but hardly ever use. Although it has big “cans” that fit over the ear, it’s an open-backed design, and the drivers are quite sensitive. The only thing making it unsuitable for use with the PS4 is the lack of a microphone.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
So why not add a microphone to it?<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I would need a cheap microphone and some way to make a flexible arm that could contain the wiring for the mic. Maybe some thick metal wire and flexible tubing? Attach this to one side of the headset and problem solved, technically. It would not look pretty, but I’m gaming on my own, nobody can see my equipment anyway.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
While looking for a cheap microphone to modify, I came across this https:\/\/shopee.com.my\/product\/80019057\/5213737168:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
It’s a microphone-only headset, used by speakers and mall promoters who need to have their voice amplified, but don’t need to listen to anything.\u00c2\u00a0 It has a ready-built flexi-arm and wiring all done neatly. I could just chop the headband part off, attach it to my headphones, and problem solved. The best part is the price … MYR4.13 (USD 1.00). I bought two (plus some other stuff to qualify for free shipping).<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Now this microphone has a plug of its own, and is designed to work with equipment (such as PCs) that has a separate socket for the microphones and headphones, with each device having its own cable.<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The PS4 (and most mobile phones that still feature headset ports) however use a single plug for both the microphone and the headphones. The connector looks similar but has slight differences:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If I want to use my\u00c2\u00a0 microphone + headphones on the PS4, I will need to get a “TRRS to TRS(headphone) + TRS(microphone) adapter that uses the CTIA standard<\/i>“, like this that I found on Shopee for RM1.53 (USD0.37): https:\/\/shopee.com.my\/product\/80019057\/5214637839<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
However, having two different cables from my headset all the way to the controller is awkard. Especially when they are off different lengths, there is excess running cable all over the place. So this is not a “perfect” solution. Having invested MYR4.13 already, I was committed to finding a better solution.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I decided the way forward is to replace the cable between the headphone and PS4 controller, to a single cable that has 4 wires inside. Then rather than using an adapter at the PS4 controller end, I could do all the necessary wiring at the headphone end instead.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I took a look at my Philips SHP-805 headset. Given that the model came out in 2005 (yes, it’s probably over 15 years old!), it is rather well made, compared to the crap you get today. Whereas today’s stuff is mostly made of plastic that snaps together, which requires a pry tool to open and running a high risk of scratching or even cracking the plastic the older it is, the Philips SHP-805 is put together using screws <\/i>! You can very easily open it up and put it back together again!<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
There are three micro screws under the foam padding, undoing those allows you to remove the padding.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
Removing another 4-screws then reveals the back of the driver and the wiring.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
There are huge solder pads where the headphone cable attaches to, and also the wires that lead to the other (right side) driver. These headphones are just asking to be DIY’ed !<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
So all I need is to get is a 4-core cable, solder a TRRS plug on one end, solder the Audio Left and Right and Ground wires to the existing points in the Philips SHP-805 headphones, and then solder the wires from my microphone to Ground and Microphone wires.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I was looking for a good<\/s> cheap headphone replacement cable, when I realized I could improve the design a lot by getting these two items instead:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
    \n
  1. \n
    A TRRS socket for MYR5.85 (USD1.42) from https:\/\/shopee.com.my\/product\/135044635\/2497339846<\/a>. I get 10 pieces for this price.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"\"<\/div>\n
      \n
    1. \n
      A 1.5m TRRS cable MYR5.64 (USD1.37) from https:\/\/shopee.com.my\/product\/238610935\/7647757273<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \"\"<\/div>\n
      <\/div>\n
      Here’s my final design:<\/div>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      And so work begins …<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
      <\/div>\n
      I measured the resistances between different points (Speaker and microphone drivers essentially let current through, so there is little point in measuring with continuity). Here’s what I measured for my equipment:<\/div>\n
      <\/div>\n