[brunk]

@Kiats

Thanks for your comment. Hopefully, I can buy a used minibox card from a member here. I sold my F111 to my friend at work but I still keep the er4s. I guess the cost of modding the er4s with an upgrade cable terminated with balance connector will be around the price of the card. Could be fun.

I am doing the same thing to my ER4S, I have all the parts here but haven't gotten around to doing it yet. I have S adapters from Awwan on eBay, a replacement Westone cable, and a TRRS connector. The only soldering i have to do is the TRRS connector. No foolery with resistors and such.

 

[raylliant]

In case anyone is interested, I'm selling my HM901 Balanced card here.  http://www.head-fi.org/t/702734/fs-mint-hifiman-balanced-amp-card-for-hm-901-for-sale

 

[Kiats]

In case anyone is interested, I'm selling my HM901 Balanced card here.  http://www.head-fi.org/t/702734/fs-mint-hifiman-balanced-amp-card-for-hm-901-for-sale

I believe Awry is looking for one. I'm sure he will be in touch.

 

[Mimouille]

  In case anyone is interested, I'm selling my HM901 Balanced card here.  http://www.head-fi.org/t/702734/fs-mint-hifiman-balanced-amp-card-for-hm-901-for-sale

Which card are you using then?

 

[raylliant]

 
Which card are you using then?

I'm using the Discrete card which is made by a Chinese DIYer.

 

[jay89]

Hey, do you have to use a balanced cable to use the balanced card? Can't I take advantage of the balance card's superior sound quality through a pair of Sony xb90ex or any other decent iem for that matter?
 
If you need a balanced cable, what cable would you recommend to go with a normal ($50 to $90) pair of iem's?

 

[flaco]

You need a balanced cable to benefit from the balanced topology. Most of the cheaper iem's have non detachable cables, so if you want to use them balanced you need to recable them.

 

[jay89]

So if i have a pair of iem's with non detachable cables, my buying a balanced card just went to waste? I won't notice any improvement with the balanced card? I have a pair of iem's and I just ordered a balanced card for the 901.

 

[flaco]

  So if i have a pair of iem's with non detachable cables, my buying a balanced card just went to waste? I won't notice any improvement with the balanced card? I have a pair of iem's and I just ordered a balanced card for the 901.

You will notice a lot of improvement if you compare it to the classic card. But you should turn the balanced button up to normal mode if you listen with single ended iem's. 

 

[jay89]

  You will notice a lot of improvement if you compare it to the classic card. But you should turn the balanced button up to normal mode if you listen with single ended iem's. 

Thanks a ton man. I thought my iem's wouldn't be able to take advantage of the balance card's sound quality. 

 

[LarsHP]

In theory you could get away with just reterminating the cable with a TRRS plug, but in the practical world this isn't always possible. You have to be sure that there is in fact two wires from each earpiece all the way to the TRS plug and that you or a friend has the needed DIY skills to solder etc.

When this is said, I think the point with balanced drive is related to full size headphones primarily.

To support your confidence further, I only have the Balanced amp card, and after long considerations I chose not to have my expensive third party IEM cable terminated with TRRS (balanced) plug, but stick to the standard TRS (single ended) plug.

 

[Mimouille]

You need a balanced cable to benefit from the balanced topology. Most of the cheaper iem's have non detachable cables, so if you want to use them balanced you need to recable them.

Yes you need a balanced cable, but with iems, that is not where most of the benefit comes from IMO. You have more of a jump from the standard card to the balanced card in SE mode than from balanced card SE mode to balanced card balanced mode. The balanced card is already a much better amp in SE mode. I would recable only one or at most two iems, and only the very best. And if you do not also get an adapter, you cannot use these cables with other SE sources.

So Balanced card balanced mode > balanced card SE mode >> standard card

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Last nite, I was trying my just arrived C435 (000) using 901 minibox card at home set to low gain. For easy audition, i randomly pick one of the Miles official recording... I accidentally picked the Carnegie Hall recording I recalled it was badly recorded. It was such a harsh experience when both your source and iems are transparently unforgiving. LoL

Without having burnt in, the C435 could also pick up the extra noise from Etymotics 3.5 > 6.5mm adapter. Clearly, the Furutech adapter is way quiet and superior. I dont know what to think about that yet.... I think i will end up spending too much time finding flaws in my gear hehehe

 

[Kiats]

Last nite, I was trying my just arrived C435 (000) using 901 minibox card at home set to low gain. For easy audition, i randomly pick one of the Miles official recording... I accidentally picked the Carnegie Hall recording I recalled it was badly recorded. It was such a harsh experience when both your source and iems are transparently unforgiving. LoL

Without having burnt in, the C435 could also pick up the extra noise from Etymotics 3.5 > 6.5mm adapter. Clearly, the Furutech adapter is way quiet and superior. I dont know what to think about that yet.... I think i will end up spending too much time finding flaws in my gear hehehe

Congrats! It is a wonderful yet brutal iem isn't it? Listen to Diana Krall, Alison Krauss or Loreena Mcakennitt and you will be rewarded with sublime aural pleasure.

 

[CosmicHolyGhost]

Congrats! It is a wonderful yet brutal iem isn't it? Listen to Diana Krall, Alison Krauss or Loreena Mcakennitt and you will be rewarded with sublime aural pleasure.

Thanks, Kiats

These are actually my first pair of ciem...and hopefully not the last..LoL

The sound isolation alone pays off already.. Lower vol and hopefully healthier hearing..