Any user looking to save money on their headphones may wonder how you make a gaming headset. The process of making your own best gaming headset seems relatively easy, and you probably will save some money.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- To make a gaming headset, you need a pair of headphones, a microphone, an audio splitter, and adhesive.
- Look for comfortable headphones for the base with good sound quality.
- You will need to secure the microphone to the outside of the headset using tape or another adhesive.
Making your headset ensures the best audio quality, the lowest background noise, and the greatest microphone quality. However, any headsets made using this model need to be wired gaming headsets. If you want wireless headsets, you probably need to find one designed for gaming, noise reduction, and virtual surround sound. For additional features, find out how to answer the phone through a gaming headset.
How to Build a Headset for Gaming
When you want to improve the sound of your gaming headset, you can combine your favorite headphones with separate microphones to optimize performance during your gaming sessions. To do so, you want a noise-canceling device, a noise-reducing microphone, one of a range of adhesives, and an audio splitter. However, if this sounds like too much work, you can always check out our SteelSeries Siberia neckband review.
Unfortunately, you most likely won’t be able to use a wireless gaming headset because the sound and the microphone will be separate. Thankfully, wired gaming headsets, those with a cable, are probably more in your price range than the latest generation of wireless headsets. You may also be interested in learning how to make my gaming headset microphone louder. For another mic-related issue, you can read our article on how to control pops on a gaming headset.
Steps
Insider Tip
You should look for good sound quality and comfort in your base headset.
STEP 1
Select your headphones with a cable to use as the base. You should pick a pair that you feel comfortable wearing long-term since this will be the basis for the entire headset. Don’t worry about the padding on the ears; you can replace this or add additional padding on top of the ears. You can read more about this with our guide on how to make a gaming headset more comfortable. This is especially important if you wear glasses so that you can stay comfortable; alternatively, you can check out these top gaming headsets for glasses wearers. Look for a set with good audio quality. This headset can include a microphone, or be just the headphones on their own.
STEP 2
Select your microphone. Most people recommend a lavalier microphone, the kind that clips onto clothing. Others recommend buying a device that clips onto the ear, but it must be a corded headset with a microphone if you go this route. Whichever model you choose, you will need to be able to connect a cable to the microphone.
STEP 3
Buy additional padding design for an over-ear headset (optional.) If you want enhanced comfort, you should buy additional padding. For our purposes, you should get the ear padding for a large-eared headset, like TurtleBeach, JBL, or other gaming headphones. You won’t need this additional padding if your base headset remains comfortable without it.
STEP 4
- Use your velcro or tape to combine the microphone with the headphones. You can find several methods like this, and the adhesive they use differs between each one. You might want to use duct tape if you want an inexpensive model. Otherwise, you can use opt for velcro or adhesive for sticking things to the wall.
- If you have a lavalier mic, you may want to use something to position it in front of your face. One person recommends attaching the lavalier to a medium-sized fork, but you could use a short dowel or a pipe-like connection. You do not need to do this step if you have a microphone assembly or clip-on headset with a microphone because the mic should stick out.
STEP 5
Twist the headphone cable and microphone wire together. Some videos refer to this as braiding, but the overall goal for this step is to keep the cables together. You can do this step earlier, but you want to ensure the cords will work while the devices are taped together. For this reason, anyone using a wired headset for both parts will have an easier time doing it now.
STEP 6
Finally, plug your wires into the audio splitter. Look for an audio splitter with separate input and output. If you aren’t should what that would look like, one port should contain a microphone icon and the other a headphone icon. Make sure you plug the microphone portion into the input port, and the headphones plug into the output port. You may need to switch the cords if you can’t hear once you’ve plugged the splitter into the audio jack. Once all that is done, read our guide on equalizing a gaming headset to get the best sound possible.
Warning
Your audio cables have to be aligned a certain way to work, so twist them together after you connect the headset and microphone.
F.A.Q.S
Do I have to turn on noise cancellation when gaming?
It depends on the noise level in your house during your gaming sessions. To take advantage of the performance settings available, you want to be able to hear everything, and a loud house may prevent that. This feature won’t make much difference if you have a quiet house.
What is a wireless connection?
In gaming, a wireless connection refers to one that allows you to connect using BlueTooth or a USB dongle instead of a headphone jack and audio cable.
Do gaming headsets make good work from home conference call headsets?
In some ways, a gaming device works well for conference calls from home. You can be comfortable with the noise level of the call, and you don’t have any background noise to worry about. If you were at the office, you would want a microphone that blocks noise.
STAT: Finding a headset that suits your needs is key to enhancing your enjoyment and performance when gaming. (source)
