DiY Wireless (WiFi) Headphone

IBS

Category: Hardware, Language: E, cover: HC, pages: 0, year: 2018.

Wireless Bluetooth headphones have limited reach and might have audio quality problems. Here is a guide that shows how to build a cheap, high-quality, wireless (wifi) headphone that works with any earphone or headphone. See photos of the mine:

Parts needed:

• As headphone I use a very old but excellent sounding Sony MDR W10 headphone, 1 euro (from fleemarket)
• Creative SoundBlaster usb-sound-card-wifi-dongle + wifi-receiver + remote, 10 euro to 30 euro, depending on your luck (There is a remote control (RC) for volume control; volume can also be set on PC. The SB wireless kit comes with a powersupply; it is not shown here because not needed for headphone use.)
• 3.7V Li-ion battery, $1.50
• Powerbank-case with micro-USB charging connector, build-in 3.7V-to-5V converter and USB 5V output, $1
• USB to 5V cable, $1. [Update 16-Mar-2019: no need to solder; this is the right cable 4.0*1.7mm: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-USB-A-Male-to-2-0-5-5mm-Connector-DC-5V-Charger-Power-Cable-Adapter/32860338433.html
  ([before] I could not find one with the right 5V plug. so I cut the plug off, opened the SB1120 box (4 screws under the rubber pads), inserted the cable into the link connect hole, made a knot near the corner of the box and soldered the cable to the corresponding pins of the power plug on the PCB.)]

Find your favorite necklace (doesn't need to be an expensive one), hang the battery+receiver around the neck, and listen wireless with a any lightweight earphone or headphone.

To switch the receiver off, you can use the RC, but this puts in in standby which consumes battery; so better plug off the USB connector from the power bank or connect it with a charger via micro-USB.

No wifi setup, uses own wifi-channel, emitter can not be detected by regular wifi-devices.

No time delay (latency) between left and right channel. No computer setup required, no drivers to install; just select output device: "digital output S/PDIF SB" in settings/sound control. (if the s/pdif option doesn't appear in the selection, which can happen (under Linux) if the emitter was not connected at boot time, in a terminal type "pulseaudio --kill; pulseaudio --start" and it appears after you close and reopen sound settings).

Compared to Bluetooth headphones, there is no pairing required, you get larger operating distance, usaulally longer battery life, you can freely choose your favorite head-/earphone, and with a suitable headphone, I bet, better sound quality.

p.s.: The usb-emitter also works on a smartphone with usb-OTG cable (I needed to download an android-app), but it draws relatively high power. (if you want to OTG and charge the phone at the same time, a special USB-hub is required.)