Improve the comfort of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headband with this 3D printed trick.
For just $25 or less, you can enhance the comfort of your $400 Sony headphones, making longer listening sessions more enjoyable.
Some users of the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones have reported that the headband design can cause discomfort after a short period of use, sometimes as little as 20 minutes. However, there is a potential economical solution that could help alleviate this pressure without having to part with these $400 headphones.
A neighbor, known as Garner, who is always looking for alternatives to solve problems like this, performed an online search after experiencing discomfort with his own XM5s. His research led him to a thread on Reddit where he found useful information. A user, CantPrintMe, shared a 3D design for small adapters that can be attached to the sliders of the tubular headband of the XM5s. These adapters have rectangular slots that allow for the insertion of a replacement headband for the SteelSeries Arctis 7 headphones, which can be purchased for about $9 on Amazon.
Once the adapters are installed, it is possible to adjust the length of the Arctis headband to be smaller than that of the XM5. This modification allows the weight of the headphones to be distributed more evenly across the new fabric, rather than concentrating in the narrow area of the memory foam of the original headphones. Additionally, Garner was able to store the XM5s in their travel case without needing to remove the adapters, simply by twisting them slightly to allow the case to close properly.
CantPrintMe published his 3D model on a design platform under a Creative Commons license, making it accessible for those who wish to download it, as long as it is not used for printing and selling the parts. For those who do not own a 3D printer, there are online services that can print the file and send the finished parts. Garner chose one called xometry, spending around 18 Canadian dollars (approximately 13 US dollars) in total. Although only a few months have passed since he made his modification, he is satisfied with the result so far.
