Here’s a crafty solution to finicky headphone controls.
On Reddit’s r/headphones subreddit, u/adel123456789 shared their unique headphone modification wherein they replaced the touch controls with a Bluetooth media remote designed for bicycles. It highlights a novel approach to personal audio device customization.
A One-of-a-Kind Headphone Mod
In a quest for more reliable headphone controls, u/adel123456789 took a step into uncharted territory by attaching a Bluetooth button pad to the touch panel of their Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones.
This modification resulted from the Redditor’s frustration with the original touch controls, which can sometimes be unresponsive and fail to register inputs. According to the OP, touch- or gesture-based controls are not efficient, especially when pausing, playing, or adjusting volume.
Redditor u/roja_poomalai agreed, saying, ‘’My hands sweat a lot. Capacitive touch doesn’t work well with liquids. The amount of times I’ve skipped a song trying to pause it or vice versa is immeasurable.’’
With buttons, the process is straightforward. A simple press or hold suffices, leaving less room for error and making it more user-friendly.
While the new setup introduces an additional Bluetooth device, it offers easier control, a replaceable battery, and an auto-off function that eliminates the hassle of manual power management.
Community Response and Similar Mods
The modification of u/adel123456789’s headphones sparked mixed reactions. While some users found the idea helpful, others were less kind, critiquing the mod’s aesthetic and usefulness.
Some r/headphones Redditors playfully debated whether the mod was ‘’Glorious or grotesque,’’ while others labeled the headphones ‘’terrifying’’ and ‘’ugly,’’ suggesting it belonged on ‘’r/cursedheadphones.’’ Others urged the user to get rid of the headphones.
Conversely, there were supportive comments as well.
Many commenters empathized with the annoyance of accidental touches and supported the mod’s practicality, noting that while it’s not aesthetically pleasing, its effectiveness is what matters. Some users shared their openness to trying the modification, regretting they hadn’t discovered it earlier.
Other Redditors were downright confused:
The OP responded that although they disabled the touch controls, ‘’they still make sound whenever you touch that area at all by accident.’’
u/adel123456789’s headphone mod exemplifies how unconventional DIY solutions in the audiophile community can enhance audio experiences despite how weird they look.
For example, Head-Fi user Nolbert0 used hair ties to alter the earpad angles of their HIFIMAN HE400i headphones and create a ‘’bass port’’ for improved sub-bass. Another quirky mod called the ‘’Santa’s Beard Mod’’ involved stuffing cotton between earphone nozzles and rubber tips to dampen aggressive treble in specific earphone models like the seahf AWK-I009M1.