Xbox One 3.5mm Headset Adapter (Warlord Version)

Here I show you how to create a 3.5mm headset adapter for your Xbox One.  This is useful for using your aftermarket headphones for your Xbox 360 with your Xbox One.  Of course you could use a 2.5mm jack if you'd like since all the connections would be the same.  I chose to use a 3.5mm jack since it is a common standard size and you can pick up all of the parts at your local electronics hobby store to make this today!

Instructions can be used as a guideline for converting the Xbox One chat headset to a 2.5 or 3.5 male or female adapter, stereo chat output, separate microphone and audio jacks for PC headsets, etc.  Troubleshooting tips are on the final page.

Supplies used in this tutorial:
~1/8" (3.5mm) STEREO phone jack (3 conductor, screw type housing)
~rosin core solder

Equipment:
~solder iron
~de-soldering bulb or braid
~multimeter (to check continuity)

Optional supplies:
~PET cable sleeving
~gutted paracord for cable sleeving
~2x 1/8" (3.5mm) STEREO phone plug (3 conductor, screw type housing) for making accessories
~heatshrink
~electrical tape
~hot glue

Optional Equipment:
~hot glue gun

The adapter has a plastic backpiece that snaps over the back of the housing to hide the screws.  Simply flip the housing over and pry this piece off.  I was able to do this with my fingernails, otherwise I would suggest a plastic pry tool to prevent marring.

There are five (5) Torx 5.5 screws that hold the adapter together.  Unscrew them and lift the rear adapter housing away.

*Keep an eye on the adapter support pins an Torx screws.  These parts are small and easy to lose.

I chose to replace the stock flat wire since it's very flimsy and the insulator stretched out too easily.  For this I used stereo audio cable which has three conductors: left, right, and ground (common).

In order to correctly make the connections to the board you must know what each of the solder pad connections are.  They are from left to right:

*GND ~Ground (common)~ to be used for both the speaker and microphone
*MIC ~Microphone (+)
*HPR ~Headphone Right (+)
*HPL ~Headphone Left (-)

While both HPR and HPL are used with the stock headset, only one is necessary as all the chat sound you'll receive will be mono anyway.

Carefully De-solder the pads and solder the appropriate wires to GND, MIC, and HPR; if you are keeping the stock wire you can skip this step.

In this step you wire your female connector, I'm using a 3.5mm connector because it's pretty much standard which means easier to find.  I also find it to be much more durable than 2.5mm.

I soldered the ground and hooked everything up in order to test the terminal connections before final soldering.  in the picture you'll see the configuration that worked properly for me.

Don't forget to slide on the housing before soldering your connections.  Test continuity with a multimeter between the pads and the soldered terminals to ensure good connections.  When done screw on the housing.

If you are using the stock wire:

White is MIC
Blue is Headphone Left (+)
Bare (copper) is ground
Black is Headphone Right (+) ~DO NOT USE~ cut and tape this wire.

See picture text for terminal connection points.

tighten the five (5) 5.5 Torx screws.  Note that if using a round cable routing through the stock strain relief isn't necessary as the wire will be tightly clamped by the housing thanks to the placement of one of the Torx screws.

If you don't alway want to wear your aftermarket headsets while playing and still want to chat with your friends, you're in luck.  You can keep using the stock XBOX ONE headset with the new adapter you made.

All you need to do is attach a male 3.5mm plug to the end of the chat headset in order to keep using it.  You will be attaching 4 wires to 3 terminals and 2 will need to be grounded together in order to function properly.  See the pictures for details.

PLEASE NOTE: I replaced the flat cable with 4 lead speaker wire here so the colors you see in the pictures are not representative of what you will see with your headset.  Original colors are indicated in the text.

Paracord sleeving!  paracord can easily be used as sleeving by cutting to length and gutting (or removing) the inner strands.  Then it can be slid over cabling and secured with heatshrink on both ends.  It's available in a multitude of colors and patterns and it's an extremely simple mod to do.  The benefits of sleeving cables with paracord include:

~Increased wear resistance (to the cable jacket)
~Maintains good flexibility (versus PET sleeving)
~Premium (custom) appearance
~tangle and knotting resistance (reducing wear to the internal wires)
~increased longevity

If you're going from a 2.5mm female audio port on the Xbox 360 to a 3.5mm adapter like in this tutorial, you'll need to make an appropriate 2.5mm to 3.5mm jumper (adapter) cable.  This is pretty straight forward, I just cut the tip off of a 2.5mm stereo cable and attached the 3.5mm male end on instead.

Continuity was tested with a multimeter, tip to tip, ring to ring, and sleeve to sleeve.  Test with your aftermarket headphones and rewire if necessary.  I can't give too much instructions here as this depends on what headphones you are using and what type of input it is expecting.

You're now ready to rock out like you should have been able to on day one!

The following troubleshooting comes from my experience doing this mod.  In order to prevent answering many common issues please read through the following to see if your issue is addressed.

GENERAL

~test your connections with a multimeter using the continuity test to ensure solid connections.
~intermittent issues are likely damaged insulator, loose wires, poor soldering, etc.
~stock wires are enamel coated, they cannot be stripped conventionally to expose the conductor if you cut the wire.  You must melt off the enamel or scrape it off before soldering.

COMMON ISSUES

1) The XBOX ONE registers that I am talking (microphone icon in chat lights when talking) but I can't hear other people talking.

1A) Speaker is not properly grounded.  Do not ground to HPR, the speaker must be grounded to the same GND as the microphone ground is using.


2) Battery life on my controller is terrible after completing this mod, otherwise everything works fine.

2A) Speaker is not properly grounded.  Do not ground to HPR, the speaker must be grounded to the same GND as the microphone ground is using.


3) The other people in chat can hear themselves echo (and my microphone icon in chat lights when they are talking).  Echo stops when my mike is muted.

3A) Possible short.  Check continuity between solder pads, there should be none.  Positive continuity indicates a short in the wiring, solder, or terminal (plug);  Identify and correct.  Additionally incorrect wiring in an adapter cable could create a similar situation.