Balanced?

eLLe7 · January 19

Hello.

I recently receive these two as a gift. he400se and Moondrop dawn.
Checking the internet, this 4.4mm port is "balance" and I want to try it.
After seeing mixed results, I decided to come here.

1. They said that I need a balanced cable, but can I get an adapter instead(3.5mm to 4.4mm)?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075165H2M

2. Is there a noticeable difference between unbalance and balance aside from increase in volume?

3. Is it the same with an IEM?

Both the headphones and IEM have a 2 rings on their 3.5mm jack.

rippy4500 · January 19

You need a full cable for a true balanced signal, not just an adapter because then you're just turning it into a single ended signal again.

The improvement in going from single ended to balanced depends alot on the amp, sometimes its alot or it could be none at all.

Tigerleon · January 19

1 hour ago, eLLe7 said:

2. Is there a noticeable difference between unbalance and balance aside from increase in volume?

Volume wise its going to be different. You can also carry the signal over longer distances. But yeah you need a fully balanced cable and not just an adapter

eLLe7 · January 19

Thanks for the reply~

Cocococo · January 19

4 hours ago, eLLe7 said:

Hello.

I recently receive these two as a gift. he400se and Moondrop dawn.
Checking the internet, this 4.4mm port is "balance" and I want to try it.
After seeing mixed results, I decided to come here.

1. They said that I need a balanced cable, but can I get an adapter instead(3.5mm to 4.4mm)?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075165H2M

2. Is there a noticeable difference between unbalance and balance aside from increase in volume?

3. Is it the same with an IEM?

Both the headphones and IEM have a 2 rings on their 3.5mm jack.

1 An adapter will not work, you need an entirely separate balanced cable

2 If your headphones sound better on balanced output then you're going through some heavy placebo at best, or the amp maker cheaped out on everything but the balanced output to make it seem like it really makes a difference, which can easily be solved by using a better amplifier, tbh unless you're using some very not sensitive headphones or a very poor quality cable that is like 100 metres long there won't be much of a difference, don't fall for audio snake oil marketing

3 I guess, but even the hardest to drive IEM's are so sensitive that the only real reason to use balanced output (increased volume) is kinda irrelevant

HE400SE use planar drivers so i guess if they don't get loud enough of standard headphone jack maybe a balanced output is a good idea but in all honesty they aren't Electrostatics/ electrets and even bluetooth DAC/AMP's can comfortably take HE400SE well into the 90db range of volume (80db is already excessive volume)