[Vitaly2017]

I am looking for advice suggestions as to how to connect a fully balanced portable amp to my N6ii. I am interested in the HUM MA1B portable amp which has a 4.4mm input and output. If I connect it to the N6ii's 4.4mm, wouldn't I get double amping? Alternatively, if I make a 3.5mm to 4.4mm interconnect and connect the amp to the 3.5mm lineout on the N6ii, would I have have a truly balanced circuit?

Which would be preferable in this circumstance?

N6ii has a 4.4mm line out just switch it in the menu.
It will swap into line out mode in 4.4mm

 

[RipVanWinkle1989]

N6ii has a 4.4mm line out just switch it in the menu.
It will swap into line out mode in 4.4mm

Whoa, just noticed that! Thank you so much!

 

[Vitaly2017]

We have explained the 4.4mm balanced headphone interference problem previously (here and here), some users didn't experience the interference, some users said the interference stopped when they place the cable away from the DAP, some users couldn't solve the interference problem even with that. I'll try to summarize the problems again, hopefully helping N6ii to minimize the problem they encountered.

(1) The problem happens with 4.4mm headphone output only. the 3.5mm headphone output didn't have that problem (in general). The different between 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone output is ground connection: 3.5mm headphone output is grounded, so the cable are shielded naturally; 4.4mm headphones cable are not grounded, so the cable become a RF antenna.

(2) Not all 4.4mm users run into interference problem. If the headphone cable is braided with conductors or wires that are individually sealed, it won't pick up any interference.

(3) The source of interference can be the WiFi antenna of N6ii, or mobile phone, or any wireless transmission (bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless, ....) in the room. The first two are the more obvious sources so moving the mobile phone away from your headphone or stretch the cable way from the DAP will minimize but not necessarily get rid of the interference completely. If you are in an environment where there is a lot of wireless device (e.g., crowded public transportation), you might still suffer from "public" interference.

(4) Take a look at the location of WiFi Antenna and connection cable in N6ii. The WiFi Antenna is "roughly" placed at the top of the player "behind" the Audio Motherboard. Since the Audio Motherboard is sealed inside a metal case, the WiFi Antenna won't affect the circuitry in the Audio Motherboard (that's why 3.5mm headphone is not affected), but it will affect the ungrounded and unshielded headphone cable if they are placed very close to the WiFi Antenna or the associated cables. Placing the headphone cable on the back of the DAP or on the "right" side (the volume button side) of the DAP will pick up more interference then placing the cable at the left side of the DAP or pull the cable away from the DAP.



When I watched the movie Terminator: Dark Fate last week, there is one scene when Sarah Connor put her mobile phone into potato crisp packing so that it won't be detected or leaked. It just come to my mind that maybe we can use similar aluminum foil bag to verify whether the headphone cable is causing the interference. Put the headphone cable inside any aluminum foil bag and find out if the interference will be further reduced. If you have similar problem, please give it a try and tell me if this works.

Its quiet unfortunate that the 4.4 isnt a real balanced output, it should actually cut more noise vs 3.5mm
I understand there is no real ground available to do this.
But for example oriolus ba300s has a 4.4mm split with a 3.5mm connector so the 3.5mm act as a ground using the dap it self I guess.

Could of something similar be done inside a dap ? Or this whole thing isnt really matter as it comes down to as there is no real ground available?


If thats the case then we should not use balanced outputs on daps I guess and go 100% on SE and optimize the SE output power to match the balanced ones....

 

[jmills8]

I am looking for advice suggestions as to how to connect a fully balanced portable amp to my N6ii. I am interested in the HUM MA1B portable amp which has a 4.4mm input and output. If I connect it to the N6ii's 4.4mm, wouldn't I get double amping? Alternatively, if I make a 3.5mm to 4.4mm interconnect and connect the amp to the 3.5mm lineout on the N6ii, would I have have a truly balanced circuit?

Which would be preferable in this circumstance?

Line out

 

[jmills8]

Its quiet unfortunate that the 4.4 isnt a real balanced output, it should actually cut more noise vs 3.5mm
I understand there is no real ground available to do this.
But for example oriolus ba300s has a 4.4mm split with a 3.5mm connector so the 3.5mm act as a ground using the dap it self I guess.

Could of something similar be done inside a dap ? Or this whole thing isnt really matter as it comes down to as there is no real ground available?


If thats the case then we should not use balanced outputs on daps I guess and go 100% on SE and optimize the SE output power to match the balanced ones....

Or dot use BA iems.

 

[Vitaly2017]

Or dot use BA iems.

Hehe yes exactly what I did I got ier-z1r and all those problems are fixed now.


But hey I still got a point.
We talked about it remember a good well implemented se amp is as good as a 4.4mm.

I recall you mentioned 4.4 was a cheap way to get more power...

 

[yerim]

I am looking for advice suggestions as to how to connect a fully balanced portable amp to my N6ii. I am interested in the HUM MA1B portable amp which has a 4.4mm input and output. If I connect it to the N6ii's 4.4mm, wouldn't I get double amping? Alternatively, if I make a 3.5mm to 4.4mm interconnect and connect the amp to the 3.5mm lineout on the N6ii, would I have have a truly balanced circuit?

Which would be preferable in this circumstance?

Just use the 4.4mm Line Out.

 

[TheHighlander]

I am looking for advice suggestions as to how to connect a fully balanced portable amp to my N6ii. I am interested in the HUM MA1B portable amp which has a 4.4mm input and output. If I connect it to the N6ii's 4.4mm, wouldn't I get double amping? Alternatively, if I make a 3.5mm to 4.4mm interconnect and connect the amp to the 3.5mm lineout on the N6ii, would I have have a truly balanced circuit?

Which would be preferable in this circumstance?

Fijica avic sell just this pw audio cable. Normally come with the oriolus ba300s

 

[RipVanWinkle1989]

Fijica avic sell just this pw audio cable. Normally come with the oriolus ba300s

Ohh I see that you also have the HUM MA1B with Cayin N6ii. Aren’t you using a 4.4mm to 4.4mm interconnect? Why is the interconnect plugged into both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outs?

 

[TheHighlander]

Ohh I see that you also have the HUM MA1B with Cayin N6ii. Aren’t you using a 4.4mm to 4.4mm interconnect? Why is the interconnect plugged into both 3.5mm and 4.4mm outs?

You can use just 4.4 to 4.4 cable. The idea of use the 3.5 too is to add ground.

 

[RipVanWinkle1989]

You can use just 4.4 to 4.4 cable. The idea of use the 3.5 too is to add ground.

Ohh that is very valuable information. Thanks a ton!

 

[jmills8]

Fijica avic sell just this pw audio cable. Normally come with the oriolus ba300s

I have that HUM but this cheaper amp is a lot better.

 

[TheHighlander]

I have that HUM but this cheaper amp is a lot better.

What amp is that?

 

[jmills8]

What amp is that?

 

[TheHighlander]

Thanks. Will look this in the future maybe with fiio q5s.