on ExpressVPN many servers are blocked but if you pick a smaller country like Luxembourg it can work

This is the way. I dabbled with a modmic but even that developed a cable issue after a couple of years. Now everything I have is modular and all of their cables can be just swapped out.

Gaming headsets.

Kept buying whatever I could for ~60-70€ at the time, and they kept breaking within a year. Bought proper headphones for 120€ which lasted me 8 years.

it all makes sense now! solved.