/r/headphonemods

Photograph via snooOG

A community dedicated to collecting, sharing, and discussing DIY headphone modifications. Tear apart your old cans. We can rebuild them. We have the technology.

Check out /r/diysound and /r/diytubes for more DIY fun!


Please be awesome to your fellow headphone DIYers.

The kinds of things that make this sub better:

  • links to documented projects

  • links to excellent design information or tools

  • questions about headphone mods or troubleshooting

  • pictures of sexy stuff you built

Stuff that makes this sub less than awesome:

  • heated debates about subjective sound quality

  • links to commercial products (unless DIY or project related)

  • not citing or crediting designers

These guidelines are not meant to censor discussion. They are meant to ensure that /r/headphonemods becomes a useful sub for everyone.


Other DIY subs of interest

/r/diysound

/r/diytubes

/r/diyaudioswap

Go to /r/headphones

/r/headphonemods

10,177 Subscribers

3

Modded Superlux HD 668B

Brainwavz XL Micro Suede pads with lightly dense foam, fixed 3.5 male jack with inline cable with swapped left and right channels. Port holes covered with black tape. Sound signature is still somewhat wide with the treble tone down some. Mids are brought forward some with more pronounce bass but not bass heavy making a overall warmer sound.

2 Comments
2025/01/31
20:50 UTC

1

Liberty 4 NC fallong out

So i have the liberty 4 love everything but i cant find any type of ear wings to make them stay put. Any advice?

Also i hope right group

0 Comments
2025/01/31
04:50 UTC

3

Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Wireless mod

Hey, I have been using a Beyerdynamic MMX 300 for about 3 years now and it is still the best headset for me, especially in terms of comfort. But now there is one thing that bothers me - the cable. So I want to try to make the MMX 300 wireless.

I use the headset on the PC mainly for work like video calls etc. and occasionally Discord. But I also use it to play games on PS5 with voice chat.

I currently use the MMX 300 with a sound card from my old HyperX Cloud2. This is connected to a simple USB switch so I can switch the output from the PC to the PlayStation or vice versa with a simple click.

I am not a big sound guy, as long as it sounds "normal" I guess. And the mic needs to be a little clear so it doesn't sound like I'm talking through a tin can. I am not a steamer or a big competitive player. So I am willing to make some compromises in both sound and mic quality.

I thought about the following to realize it without spending a fortune:

  • Fiio BTR3k
  • Creative BT-W3
  • Standard cable or a shorter 3.5mm TRRS to TRRS cable

I want to attach the BTR3k to the headset with the clip. I want to try to run the stock cable through the headband as much as possible so I can still use the headset's remote to mute the mic. If this doesn't work, or just looks stupid (especially on a work video call), I'll get a shorter 3.5mm TRRS cable, then I'll have to give up on the remote and mute my mic in software only.

I will need a dongle for my PC and Playstation. My research led me to the Creative BT-W3. This will be plugged into my USB switch so I can connect it to the PC and PS with the push of a button.

Has any of you done this before? Will it work, especially with the microphone functionality? Any other recommendations?

1 Comment
2025/01/27
20:13 UTC

1

dt 990 bluetooth mod help

I am unable to find any helpful information on how to wire a Bluetooth module internally inside my dt990 pros. I am looking to use a spdt (single pole double throw) switch to switch between Bluetooth and wireless with them, but there are not any wiring guides, and I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to wiring; I'm looking for any help.

3 Comments
2025/01/27
09:26 UTC

2

Recommendations on small Bluetooth Receivers?

Looking for small 3.5mm Bluetooth receivers to permanently stick on a earcup of a pair of the Sony MDR-7506.

Trying to essentially make these wireless, plus with the detachable cable mod i can still use it for DJ’ing.

1 Comment
2025/01/27
00:58 UTC

1

Advice on dyeing dt990 pro ear cups

I've recently become interested in custom headphone cables and custom designs, and I am looking for some advice. Specifically, I'm considering dyeing the ear cups of my Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro headphones. I'm not entirely sure about the best approach to get a good and, most importantly, lasting finish. I’ve seen some people use fabric dyes, leather dyes, and spray paints, but I’m unsure which would work best for me. The main thing I'm worried about is sweat messing up the dye. If anyone has experience with dyeing ear cups, I’d really appreciate any tips, insight, or product recommendations. Any insights on how to get the best results would be extremely helpful!

1 Comment
2025/01/25
20:44 UTC

3

What would the best way to go about upgrading headband padding be?

I recently got the AKG K553 MKII and I like how they sound however the headband padding is a joke so I'd like to upgrade it somehow, when looking online, all I've found were either replacement headbands with the same thickness or different ear pads which I don't need.

5 Comments
2025/01/25
14:33 UTC

1

Is this the right sub for this?

Hello people, I recently got some bone conduction headphones but I hate the loud beep they make every time I turn the volume up or down. Is there a way to turn that off? Or can you guys point me to a better sub if this is not the one?

1 Comment
2025/01/22
20:20 UTC

0

customizing store bought earbuds

i just found out this subreddit is a thing and im wondering if anyone here knows how to mod regular earbuds i have a few pairs and i would just like to change what their touch controls do plus the audio that tells when u're connected to a device or just a dif subreddit that might know how to do this please and thanx

2 Comments
2025/01/22
01:00 UTC

1

Has anyone made an open back headphone to a closed back?

Are the speaker elements different enough for it not to work decently? Say the magnificent sounding Sundara, Hifiman also has a (nowadays) cheap Sundara Closed, but the sound has severe problems and doesn’t sound all that good.

If I were to buy the regular open-back Sundara and print largeish closed-back cups for it and dampen them with foam, would I get a bad sounding set like the Sundara Closed? Or is there a possibility to tune the response with ports and damping to be actually useful?

5 Comments
2025/01/17
02:38 UTC

1

No sound out left porta pro

0 Comments
2025/01/15
21:46 UTC

2

Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X Bluetooth Mod

https://preview.redd.it/zmh6upf6ckce1.jpg?width=4624&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dd9e375e6b10a1a82b7660708da278d974ccb264

https://preview.redd.it/xq16bpf6ckce1.jpg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c638d66a52522cf8eeae7c7bd3e938dff797cd92

https://preview.redd.it/2gccduf6ckce1.jpg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d7f2a7e7bfd410e462c96fb13cc9d55abb872d77

https://preview.redd.it/xh224uf6ckce1.jpg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de92bf1562a4832ef4fd78959ae54a8959372c7f

I got myself the DT 900 PRO X to replace my old DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm. Thanks to the lower impedance I wanted to give a budget bluetooth mod a shot, something that I was never able to do with the 250 Ohm headphones I had previously.

I happened to have a UGREEN bluetooth receiver lying about, so all I needed was a compact Mini XLR plug with a sideways hole for the cable and a 3.5mm jack on the other end of a very short cable. I found like two offers online, but I didn't want to spend €50 on a cable, so I decided to purchase a compact female Mini XLR plug and solder 5cm worth of audio cable onto it myself.

I attached the bluetooth receiver to the earcups with some velcro and that's it, good to go!

Components list:
- UGREEN Bluetooth Received currently available on Amazon for €12.99 https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/B0CHXZJ6GY/
- QIANRENON compact female Mini XLR currently available on Amazon for €12.99 https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0CZQGCZ42
- 3.5mm audio cable, any cable that you already have at home and are willing to cut up will do

Little "review" portion of this post regarding some of the concerns I had beforehand:

Quality:
Honestly, the sound quality is significantly better than I expected. Of course, it's nowhere near as good as a wired connection to a proper HiFi setup, but given how my audio source is usually Spotify, this is perfectly adequate and there is no noteworthy difference without a direct side by side comparison.

Battery life:
The bluetooth receiver I used has a 300mAh battery and so far I've had up to 3 hours of listening on a partial charge and it never died on me. This is much better than I expected. I have yet to figure out how much playtime I can expect to get out of this and unfortunately the bluetooth received does not provide that information on the connected device.

Comfort:
For casual listening around the house it's so nice not to have 2m worth of cable dangling all over the place. The right angle XLR plug also helps because it does not touch the neck/shoulder area like the straight plugs do.

Aesthetics:
I admit, this is not the most beautiful solution by any stretch, but I wanted to go for something external as to not alter the sound of the headphones by hiding the components inside the ear cups. Other than that, I don't find it overly offensive looking and it's the right amount of quirky for my liking. I will probably keep an eye out for a different bluetooth receiver, though.

Verdict:
While this is not audiophile grade by any means, it's definitely already way into the territory of diminishing returns where the extra money for ever so slightly improved quality is not really worth it unless you're very particular about your audio. I'd be willing to bet that 99.9% of listeners could not tell the difference between this receiver and an €80 or €200 solution.

2 Comments
2025/01/12
13:45 UTC

3

A compatible driver that outcompetes Koss' Portapros

Koss' Portapros have been around forever as have its siblings [KPH75, KPH40, Sportapro, KPH 30]. They all use similar drivers (I believe one is titanium coated and one isn't). My question is -- is there a compatible driver in the same form factor that outcompetes it? If so, has it been tested? I love the look and the form factor, and the mod ecosystem around Koss' headphones, but making a compact, high end frakenheadphone might be a fun project. I know there's a few models by Yuin [G2A, G1A] but outside of one post on here and an anecdotal one on Head-Fi from like 2009, I haven't seen much data on it.

I know this may miss the appeal of the PortaPro, but I have been surprised by what you can get directly from China before at a fraction of the cost. Would love to know if someone has turned up something before. Thought I'd ask!

3 Comments
2025/01/10
22:05 UTC

1

Headphone pcb removing

Hi guys! I have had a problem with my headphones since almost half a year. The right side is significantly loider than the left. Now my cable broke amd I replaced it, but the problem still there. There's a pcb in there. Foes anyone know if I can remove it, and directly wire the aux cable, right to right driver, left to left, grounds to ground? Or is that a stupid idea? Or is there anything I can do about the unbalanced volume? Thanks for any advice!

Ps: i meant solder the aux wires to driver wire

5 Comments
2024/12/31
22:32 UTC

0

looking for a cable replacement for my Razer kraken pro 2015. It's a 90 degrees TRRS cable but there's a cable break right at the end of the cable just before the jack, so it needs to be replaced.

It would also be nice if I can mod it so that the cable is removable. It doesn't really matter what type of connection is going to be at the headset end of the cable, as long as it can handle 48V*. The cable is now around 1m i believe but I want it to be a little longer, lets say 1,5m or maybe even 2m and it would be nice if it's coiled.

*Note: I'm running my headset's TRRS cable into a splitter, of which the mic TRS is going into a Rode VXLR+ adapter which goes into my Arturia Minifuse 4 which provides 48V to the mic. and the other TRS goes into the same audio interface with a 3,5 female to 6,3 male adapter.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a durable cable like this? and if that's a doable mod?

1 Comment
2024/12/27
14:59 UTC

0

Help Wanted - Professional headset/headphones recolor/repaint job/mod

Hello everybody :)

I just bought a new pair of Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro MK2 headphones and am amazed by the quality and comfort, just the all black color doesn't fit my white/gold streaming setup.

Therefore I'd like to change the headphones' appearance, which includes:

- Repaint all chassis parts

- Repaint the leather headband

- Exchange the black cables

- Exchange the black velour leather earpads

I've also done a concrete concept in Photoshop, if someone needs more info

Does somebody know a service in the EU or a professional private person, capable of doing all or some of these tasks? Beyerdynamic doesn't do the service for me unfortunately.

I've tried to look up such a service or persons fulfilling these tasks, but couldn't find anything by myself :'(

Thanks a lot <3

5 Comments
2024/12/17
12:58 UTC

3

DT 880 balanced mod question.

So I just purchased a nice balanced amp and want to mod my dt880 600ohm to be balanced, but I see two different styles of balance mod, dual 3.5mm and single mini XLR. If I were to buy a single mini XLR kit would that be functionally the same as a dual 3.5 mm mod? And then I could just use a mini XLR to XLR cable to run into my THX AAA 887.

8 Comments
2024/12/16
18:27 UTC

33

Koss ksc75

This is my first mod and my mmcx cable has not arrived yet

6 Comments
2024/12/07
15:30 UTC

1

Wireless headphones quality

(Sorry for bad english)I want to know if this is a problem I can solve or I just have to live with it, every wireless headphones I ever had always I connect to my pc and enter a discord call the quality sounds like im on a phone call, is there something I can do?

6 Comments
2024/12/02
20:17 UTC

1

Instructions on how to and Cable replacement for Mdr-3 headphones and Similar ones

Hey, I’ve got a pair of Sony MDR-3 headphones and another non-branded pair that look exactly like the Sony ones. The cable on my original Sony MDR-3 headphones is messed up, so I’m looking to replace it with a cable that’s the same length or close to the one on the Sony MDR3L2 headphones. I don’t know how to solder, but I know a guy who can help. What copper wire do I need to attach to which soldering points? If anyone has pictures or instructions on how to open them up without damaging the inside or outside, that’d be awesome. Also, any suggestions on where to grab a 3.5mm cable for this preferbly on amazon and even better if it is the same sort of rubber cable keeping it true to the original although a simple one works to not too expensive but also not too cheap catch my drift? appreciate any type of reply

0 Comments
2024/12/02
16:48 UTC

12

Beuerdynamic DT 770 repair cable

Hi everyone! I am troubleshooting my headphones and the cable on the left side looks terrible. The red and blue are almost chewed all the way through. My question is, can I shorten the cable and resolder them? Or do I need a new cable? if I can shorten them, what’s the best way of shortening the individual cables insulation casing?

6 Comments
2024/11/25
13:20 UTC

2

TRRS with 3 wires only?

Hey all,

So I'm looking to replace a broken cable on my old ATH-AG1s. The existing cable is TRRS, so I bought a TRRS replacement, however when I stripped the cable I can only see three wires (red, green, blue). Im thoroughly confused? There should be a 4th, right? The only thing I can think of is that the shielding is being used as the 4th wire? Am I missing something seriously obvious?

https://preview.redd.it/t4pxwac9un1e1.jpg?width=2253&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eec9f732be2986ddcc2713fe80ca5f11e4db5530

2 Comments
2024/11/18
13:16 UTC

12

I just broke my headphones and thought this is the place to ask for advice.

I accidentally Tore of the left cup off of a 'Defender Freemotion B540' but luckily there is no damage to the plastic. I just need to solder these 3 wires back to this chip and it's repaired, but does anybody know which wire probably belongs to which contact? (Contact 1 is red, because I can see part of the red insulation in the solder and Contact 3 does not show any damage and therefore didn't have a wire soldered to to begin with)

6 Comments
2024/11/16
20:39 UTC

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