[buke9]

I have a Diablo and it is fantastic but was just curious if I can make a 4.4mm to rca cable. I have only used the 4.4mm to xlr balanced cable and was just curious if it would damage it if I made a 4.4mm balanced to rca cable.

 

[ClieOS]

RCA is not a balanced connection. While the left and right channel are separated on the RCA connectors, the ground channel on both are internally shorted together. If you used a 4.4mm-to-RCA cable, you will be shorting the 4.4mm (balanced) side of the circuit - and shorting of any circuit is NEVER a good thing.

 

[iFi audio]

RCA is not a balanced connection. While the left and right channel are separated on the RCA connectors, the ground channel on both are internally shorted together. If you used a 4.4mm-to-RCA cable, you will be shorting the 4.4mm (balanced) side of the circuit - and shorting of any circuit is NEVER a good thing.

That's affirmative, thanks @ClieOS, you're helpful as usual !

 

[buke9]

Figured as much I know it is a bad thing to use single ended headphone adapter for a balanced amp .

 

[ferorake]

You can do it and honestly I doubt you'll do any damage, even if you could just use a 6.35 -> 2x RCA adapter that is clearly better.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

You can do it and honestly I doubt you'll do any damage, even if you could just use a 6.35 -> 2x RCA adapter that is clearly better.

From ClieOS signature link

 

[iFi audio]

From ClieOS signature link

That's useful, thanks

 

[jellofund]

If you wanted to connect your Diablo to an SE amp another option is to use the supplied 4.4 to dual XLR cable along with a pair of female XLR to RCA cables wired as follows:

pin #2 to positive (tip)
pin #1 to shield (ground)
pin #3 NOT connected (floating)

A couple of useful posts from the Diablo thread for info that might be of interest.

1
2

I got an eBay seller here in the UK to knock me up a pair to use with my Diablo and they work well.

 

[iFi audio]

If you wanted to connect your Diablo to an SE amp another option is to use the supplied 4.4 to dual XLR cable along with a pair of female XLR to RCA cables wired as follows:

pin #2 to positive (tip)
pin #1 to shield (ground)
pin #3 NOT connected (floating)

Yup, this would work, thanks!

 

[BryceS]

From ClieOS signature link

However, with a 4.4mm TRRRS only 4 of the 5 available terminals are used in headphone application, the ground is on the sleeve and with headphones is unused, it is there for interconnect application. If you take the positive from each channel, leave the negatives floating and use the sleeve for the ground you have a conventional single ended set up, two hots with both going to ground.

I have a ddhifi 4.4mm balanced to 3.5mm single ended adapter and ifi make one also. I can’t imagine ifi would make a balanced to single ended adapter if it wasn’t technically sound. I understand that the above set up is how the adapters are wired.

I believe the 4.4mm to dual RCA would be wired the same as the 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter, two signals and a ground used with the negatives floating.

If it can be done with a 4.4mm to dual 3 pin XLR then an XLR to RCA adapter it has to be able to be done 4.4mm to dual RCA directly. All the dual adapters are doing is altering the wiring configuration, you can do that directly with a single cable.

That can’t be done with a 2.5mm or 3.5mm TRRS (4 pole) as there is no ground.

 

[BryceS]

Deleted - double up.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

However, with a 4.4mm TRRRS only 4 of the 5 available terminals are used in headphone application, the ground is on the sleeve and with headphones is unused, it is there for interconnect application. If you take the positive from each channel, leave the negatives floating and use the sleeve for the ground you have a conventional single ended set up, two hots with both going to ground.

I have a ddhifi 4.4mm balanced to 3.5mm single ended adapter and ifi make one also. I can’t imagine ifi would make a balanced to single ended adapter if it wasn’t technically sound. I understand that the above set up is how the adapters are wired.

I believe the 4.4mm to dual RCA would be wired the same as the 4.4mm to 3.5mm adapter, two signals and a ground used with the negatives floating.

If it can be done with a 4.4mm to dual 3 pin XLR then an XLR to RCA adapter it has to be able to be done 4.4mm to dual RCA directly. All the dual adapters are doing is altering the wiring configuration, you can do that directly with a single cable.

That can’t be done with a 2.5mm or 3.5mm TRRS (4 pole) as there is no ground.

You are probably referring to this application, it is possible but only in certain applications, not all 4.4mm sources allow that.

 

[BryceS]

You are probably referring to this application, it is possible but only in certain applications, not all 4.4mm sources allow that.

That is exactly what I was describing.

This thread is talking specifically about Diablo balanced out to RCA and based on having used a 4.4mm balanced to 3.5mm single ended adapter successfully with my Diablo I understand the Diablo does indeed use the grounding sleeve of the Pentaconn. It would therefore logically also allow the use of a 4.4mm to dual RCA cable without issue being a different application of the same single ended principle.

I believe I saw a comment from ifi somewhere here indicating same.

 

[BryceS]

From the main Diablo thread ….

 

[iFi audio]

From the main Diablo thread ….

That settles it for iDSD Diablo then, thanks for posting Seb's reply