[Zuiner2]

Hi.

I have a question about pentaconn 4.4mm connector. In particular in interesting in usage of ground.
As I understand most headphone cables with pentaconn don't use ground at all just +L,-L,+R and -R.
And my qustion is actualy is 2 questions...

1) How can I tell that my audio source (amp, dap or amp/dac combo) even use pentaconn's ground?
Typically there is no information about it in manuals.

2) Is there any benefits to make a shielded headphone cable with the shield soldered to pentaconn's ground?
Does it help with protection from wireless signals?

I'm corrently using some headphone cables with pentaconn (without usage of the ground) and I have some problems with unwanted noise. Tipically in elevators, underpasses, metro (subway/undergound). So I wonder if shielded cable can help with my problem.

I've tried to google the answer but I've found some very different answers and can't tell which one is right....

 

[chezzer]

4.4mm doesn't use ground therefore your amp will not require or work with a 4.4mm grounded, all headphone cables require 4 connections to work, you do not have a 5th wire so it couldn't possibly be grounded, I'm not sure why you would be getting interference from these places, the only explanation would be if you are streaming your music.

 

[Zuiner2]

4.4mm doesn't use ground therefore your amp will not require or work with a 4.4mm grounded, all headphone cables require 4 connections to work, you do not have a 5th wire so it couldn't possibly be grounded, I'm not sure why you would be getting interference from these places, the only explanation would be if you are streaming your music.

Thanks for your reply. But I still don't see why not to add shielding around 4 wires and connect it to the ground of pentaconn? Why pentaconn even has the ground? There should be a purpose I guess....

I have interference problems with every kind of portable audio I've tried (DAPs, USB and Bluetooth DAC/Amps with every kind of headphone cables and wired headphones). I'm never streaming music. Interference is more noticeable with sensitive IEMs and less noticeable with harder to drive headphones (like LCD-2 Closed and Ether Closed). The worst case of interference probably in the crowded metro when I'm using USB dongle DAC with my phone.

I thing big part of my problem is the phone's wireless activity (GSM/3G/4G/WiFi etc.) that has effect on a headphone cable. But even when I'm using DAP without any wireless activity some interference still exist and I wonder if it can be solved with shielded cable.

Of course it can be solved with bluetooth headphones... but I don't like how they sound.

 

[Zuiner2]

Just an example of of an shielded cable to have more understanding what I have in mind.
https://audio46.com/products/dd-ddhifi-bc150b-silver-headphone-upgrade-cable

I probably should just order something like this or make by myself to know for sure if it has any benefits...

 

[chezzer]

https://www.cosmic-cables.co.uk/product-page/4-wire-braided-white-denon

You can try Ian here, he has plenty of shielded cables

 

[Zuiner2]

https://www.cosmic-cables.co.uk/product-page/4-wire-braided-white-denon

You can try Ian here, he has plenty of shielded cables

Thanks for suggestion.

 

[Zuiner2]

So I think I'm going deeper in this...

1) I've explore all my audio sources that have female pantaconn connectors. I've just look inside of them.
And I see only 4 poles in Hiby RS6 and RS2, Cayin RU6 and RU7.
But I see 5 poles in Hiby R5 (the old one) and IFI Gryphon. I assume these two use pentaconn ground somehow and others don't.

2) And I've found a shielded headphone cable in my pile of cables but it's 3.5mm unbalanced one. But I've compared shielded cable with unshielded one on my "test rig".
And with shielded cable there is less amount of interference. It can be more noticeable with balanced cable.

Test rig: 2 phones + Hiby FC6 + cable + Oppo PM3. FC6 connecten to the first phone. The cable is wrapped around the second phone. And I call from the second phone to the first one.