[hellschatt]

So I've ordered the iFi iDSD nano Black label for my new setup. And my old amp only accepts 2x XLR-3 ports as balanced input.

Also if I'm not mistaken, the iFi iDSD nano BL will sound best with a 3.5mm TRRS jack. But I haven't seen 3.5mm TRRS to 2x XLR-3 anywhere. All I saw was only 3.5mm TRS to 2x XLR-3.

So either I'm wrong with my assumption that a TRRS will work better than a TRS with the iFi iDSD nano BL... or these cables are just really rare and hard to find.

For the case that I need to go from 3.5mm TRRS to 2x XLR-3: There seem to be multiple ways to do that. I thought about 3.5mm TRRS to XLR-4 and then from XLR-4 to 2x XLR-3. Kind of annoying. And they are not really common cables either, but that seems to be the best solution. Or is there a better (or cheaper, or more flexible) solution?

 

[Taz777]

Are you talking about the headphone outs on the front? Those are 3.5mm TRS or TRRS headphone amp outputs and the nano works out how to drive them. I’m not sure that the 3.5mm line level out on the rear is balanced.

Which output are you intending to use to connect to to your amp? The front 3.5mm outputs are not line level outputs. Only the rear 3.5mm socket in the rear is a line level output, and it’s a TRS unbalanced output rather than a balanced TRRS outout.

See here: https://c4w4s3k2.stackpathcdn.com/w...DSD-BL-balanced-circuit-Tech-Note-Nov-xx-.pdf

 

[hellschatt]

Are you talking about the headphone outs on the front? Those are 3.5mm TRS or TRRS headphone amp outputs and the nano works out how to drive them. I’m not sure that the 3.5mm line level out on the rear is balanced.

Which output are you intending to use to connect to to your amp? The front 3.5mm outputs are not line level outputs. Only the rear 3.5mm socket in the rear is a line level output, and it’s a TRS unbalanced output rather than a balanced TRRS outout.

See here: https://c4w4s3k2.stackpathcdn.com/w...DSD-BL-balanced-circuit-Tech-Note-Nov-xx-.pdf

I was intending to use the one on the back so I can bypass the amp and use it as a dac only for my home setup. But I thought the one on the back is balanced too... that's why I was confused with TRS and TRRS. I thought I'd need a TRRS on the back to get balanced because I'm not using their amp.

If that's the case I might return it... or I'll live with unbalanced output.

 

[Taz777]

I’m about to use it as a DAC only too, together with a dedicated headphone amplifier. I’ll be using the line out on the rear. You should check with iFI to be absolutely sure, but I’m fairly certain that the rear line level out is not balanced.

I’ve never seen a reference to the rear being a TRRS socket. Only the front headphone outs.

But check with iFI to be 100% sure.

 

[hellschatt]

I’m about to use it as a DAC only too, together with a dedicated headphone amplifier. I’ll be using the line out on the rear. You should check with iFI to be absolutely sure, but I’m fairly certain that the rear line level out is not balanced.

I’ve never seen a reference to the rear being a TRRS socket. Only the front headphone outs.

But check with iFI to be 100% sure.

Their website seems to be down for me today for some reason. I'll ask them when it's up again and will report it here when I get an answer.

 

[hellschatt]

I’m about to use it as a DAC only too, together with a dedicated headphone amplifier. I’ll be using the line out on the rear. You should check with iFI to be absolutely sure, but I’m fairly certain that the rear line level out is not balanced.

I’ve never seen a reference to the rear being a TRRS socket. Only the front headphone outs.

But check with iFI to be 100% sure.

So for everyone in the future, the customer service just replied to me that the "S-Balanced technology" is used on all the 3 outputs of the ifi iDSD nano BL. Sounds great to me.

EDIT: My question still stands. How should I do TRRS to 2x XLR-3 from the nano BL to my amp?

 

[ChrisPDX]

EDIT: Now I'm reading that, while S-Balanced 3.5mm TRRS to balanced headphones is great, it does not work going to dual 3-pin XLR connectors (https://forum.headphones.com/t/ifi-audio-official-brand-thread/1240/20):

In fact, using an S-Balanced connection to a true differential 3-pin XLR input will likely result in you only getting half the available power out of the amplifier, since it will only be driving one phase of each channel with a music signal.

Trying to get to the bottom of this. Here is my original response with suggested cables:

• https://lqicables.com/products/balanced-3-5mm-trrs-to-dual-xlr-3-pin-male
• https://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Balanced-Audio-Headphone-Adapter/dp/B07WSRS48J
• Or a custom build or kit from Hart Audio Cables, which has all the pieces.

NOTE: If I understand correctly, the reason 3.5mm TRRS balanced connectors are not common, while 2.5mm and 4.4mm TRRS balanced cables are becoming the standard, is that a connecting a 3.5mm TRRS connector with a balanced signal into an unbalanced 3.5mm TRS jack can cause real damage to the dual-mono amplifiers producing the balanced signal. Or maybe it's the other way around. In any case, need to put a warning label on such a cable!