[Nejakabo]

Which audio player manufacturers are using 3.5mm or smaller connectors and balanced audio (differential signal) their current players? I am declined to purchase from a maker who is not using it in their most recently developed products. If they are not dedicated to balanced audio in their future, then I doubt I want to buy older products from them with balanced audio output.
2.5mm TRR(S) jacks seem especially interesting.
USB adapters and relatively cheap sound cards are of interest also.

M-Audio has a USB DAC and PCI sound card.
Micro DAC 24/192 is 1/8 inch headphone output.

I suspect that the 1/8 inch is same as the '3.5mm' jack. Can someone confirm?
1/8 inch = 3.175mm. That is a big difference from 3.5mm.

I looked at Astel & Kern. Their currently featured player (AK Jr) is using 3.5mm, not balanced output.

 

[Nejakabo]

Are the 'flight' jacks designed for balanced audio? It looks as if they are. They have 5 contacts: enough for 2 balanced channels and a ground connection. I don't know what thickness the plugs are.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/trs-plug-jack-layouts.381485/

 

[SubSTI]

Don't know if I understand your question correctly but Pioneer has the XDP-300R DAP with a balanced 2.5mm TRRS out, Onkyo with the DP-X1 and DP-X1A also.

 

[cossix]

Are the 'flight' jacks designed for balanced audio? It looks as if they are. They have 5 contacts: enough for 2 balanced channels and a ground connection. I don't know what thickness the plugs are.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/trs-plug-jack-layouts.381485/

Yes but what do stick into the flight jack and how many connections does that have You can't go from SE to balanced using a jack

 

[Nejakabo]

Don't know if I understand your question correctly but Pioneer has the XDP-300R DAP with a balanced 2.5mm TRRS out, Onkyo with the DP-X1 and DP-X1A also.

That is part of the question. Another is: Are those the most recent players from those companies? Does the most recently developed by each support balanced audio?

Yes but what do stick into the flight jack and how many connections does that have You can't go from SE to balanced using a jack

I already knew that using such an adapter could cause balanced audio to be lost.

 

[Nejakabo]

Onkyo is using 2.5mm balanced output in their newest player.
http://www.eu.onkyo.com/en/articles/onkyo-launches-dp-s1-digital-audio-player-139556.html
I will get such a jack on my cable for my new CIEMs.