[harpo1]

  the pono has a usb! thats why i get answers of connecting it to usb..

I don't know how many ways I can tell you this but the pono doesn't have any digital outputs.  The usb on the pono is just for charging and data transfer that's it.

 

[harpo1]

  i thought the PHA-3 is a balanced amp! or does it just have balanced connections? doesnt mean its balanced?? 

It is from a digital input but not from analog.

 

[Kylan]

so surf cables don't know what they are talking about when they send me an email and tell me that the pono works in balanced mode with the Sony and sennheisers.. when surf specializes and make cables for both balanced mode and pono player setup.. 

 

[alpha421]

Surf cables knows balanced cables and the PONO player.  It's obvious to me that they don't know the PHA-3 and how it functions - this is the underlining issue.

 

[Kylan]

so i bought me a 1000.00 coaster! thats about par for me! 

 

[L8MDL]

 
Can you describe the difference?

VOLUME!!!

 

[doctorjazz]

I looked at specs for the Sony, I don't believe you can use balanced Pono and keep it balanced. There's a single analog input, which you could access from the line out from the Pono (and you could access it from a balanced Pono cable with the single connector on the Sony side, but I don't think you'd get balanced on the Sony side... May still sound better, though). You'd not be using the Sony dac, though, just the amp, the Pono does the digital heavy lifting. My sense is that the Sony was really designed for those who want to get good sound out of their phones, bypassing the phone amp and dac.

 

[L8MDL]

First - the USB is used for charging and data transfer ONLY - it does not provide ANY type of output. The Pono player uses both of the 3.5mm output ports for balanced use. Surf Cables says they have cables for the Sony, and I don't know why they would be selling them if they do NOT provide a balanced signal. A standard 3.5-3.5mm cable will not provide a balanced signal, the cable must be wired to Pono specifications and both output ports must be used. The input on the Sony does not use standard 3.5mm jacks for balanced input mode but Surf Cable may offer a cable that uses the proper input jack. You could also contact Moon Audio and see what they may offer...
 
https://www.ponomusic.com/servlet/fileField?id=0BE15000000GoDv

 

[Koukol]

 

 
Can you describe the difference?

VOLUME!!!

Interesting.
 
I listen to a lot of Hard Rock and Punk yet since I went balanced I rarely listen ( maybe once) at full volume with my 600's.
Without the balance mode I would agree the HD series sounds muffled and weak
 
I don't know if you're hearing impaired but saying "The 600's, even balanced, need more power than the Pono can provide to really produce the "Sennheiser sound". is flat out wrong.
Plugging my 600's into my Balanced Pono, Fiio X5ii and LD MLIII Tube Amp all give me the Senny sound.
 
I'm curious if you also use the bass boost on the Fiio (If it has one)

 

[L8MDL]

Interesting.

I listen to a lot of Hard Rock and Punk yet since I went balanced I rarely listen ( maybe once) at full volume with my 600's.
Without the balance mode I would agree the HD series sounds muffled and weak

I don't know if you're hearing impaired but saying "The 600's, even balanced, need more power than the Pono can provide to really produce the "Sennheiser sound". is flat out wrong.
Plugging my 600's into my Balanced Pono, Fiio X5ii and LD MLIII Tube Amp all give me the Senny sound.

I'm curious if you also use the bass boost on the Fiio (If it has one)

First, I am not hearing impaired, I just like to listen loud after 20+ years of studio and sound reinforcement duties earlier in my life. My normal studio volume was 90+db, stage mixes up to 120+db. I have my hearing tested yearly and suffer only the normal dropouts of a 66 year-old.

I do not use the bass boost and am generally anti-equalizer. I like the EQ the producer wanted (see studio experience above) and see little need to alter it.

In using the Pono with the 600 's, balanced, I found many albums I was playing at full volume and almost everything else at 90%. Just wanted more headroom. The E12 and Valhalla 2 fit the bill perfectly, even though they are single-ended.

I don't believe I am the only one to have said the Pono is under-powered with 300-600 ohm phones. FWIW I run my HiFiMan 400S (balanced) and my Koss KSC75's at about 9 o'clock.

 

[Koukol]

 

Interesting.

I listen to a lot of Hard Rock and Punk yet since I went balanced I rarely listen ( maybe once) at full volume with my 600's.
Without the balance mode I would agree the HD series sounds muffled and weak

I don't know if you're hearing impaired but saying "The 600's, even balanced, need more power than the Pono can provide to really produce the "Sennheiser sound". is flat out wrong.
Plugging my 600's into my Balanced Pono, Fiio X5ii and LD MLIII Tube Amp all give me the Senny sound.

I'm curious if you also use the bass boost on the Fiio (If it has one)

First, I am not hearing impaired, I just like to listen loud after 20+ years of studio and sound reinforcement duties earlier in my life. My normal studio volume was 90+db, stage mixes up to 120+db. I have my hearing tested yearly and suffer only the normal dropouts of a 66 year-old.

I do not use the bass boost and am generally anti-equalizer. I like the EQ the producer wanted (see studio experience above) and see little need to alter it.

In using the Pono with the 600 's, balanced, I found many albums I was playing at full volume and almost everything else at 90%. Just wanted more headroom. The E12 and Valhalla 2 fit the bill perfectly, even though they are single-ended.

I don't believe I am the only one to have said the Pono is under-powered with 300-600 ohm phones.

OK...we all hear differently.
I'm just saying volume is not a problem for me in balanced mode.
And I like my Rock loud.
 
Tyll Hertsens is in my opinion the most trustworthy reviewer online and he recommends the 600's for the Pono in balanced.
Here's a reply/comment from Charlie Hansen (Pono designer and President of Ayre Acoustics) to Tyll's review of the Pono.
I hope I can post this here. (mods let me know)
 
"Hi Tyll and InnerFidelity readers,
 
Thanks for the super thorough review on the PonoPlayer. I think the title sums it up perfectly—"Promises Fulfilled". Neil Young's vision of delivering the same experience to the end user that the artist had in the studio is a reality, and it is delivered at an affordable price.
I'll admit that until the PonoPlayer came along, I've not been much of a "headphone guy". While in high-school and neither funds nor space for a "real" stereo, I had a pair of Stax SR-X Mk.II's that received lots of use (LPs and tubed equipment), but that has been roughly 40 years ago.
In the lovely open spirit of the review, let me reveal some of my expectation biases:
1) While in the hospital after the accident that paralyzed me nearly nine years ago, Tyll (then still with HeadRoom) and Jeff Joseph (Joseph Audio) got together and gave me the gift of a pair of Sennheiser HD-600 headphones and a HeadRoom headphone amplifier. I was extremely touched by their generousness (much nicer than flowers, for a guy at least!) and will chalk that up as a positive bias.
I still have those headphones, and rewired for balanced operation (almost a requirement to get good volume levels from high-impedance cans from a portable player where the standard output level is only 1 volt), they are still the main way that I listen to the PonoPlayer.
2) During the review process I've had the pleasure of exchanging several e-mails with Tyll. I've been astounded by his breadth of knowledge and depth of inquiry, and feel I've found something of a kindred spirit in terms of our thirst for exploration. I will also chalk that up to a positive bias.
 
So if you're not getting the volume you need...fine.
But as I said saying a blanket statement like the Pono will not push the 600's to full bloom in balanced mode is wrong.
 
 
And who's talking about 600ohm?
Last time I checked the 800's were 300.
There's no doubt the Pono is under powered for anything even close to 600.

 

[L8MDL]

Don't think I made a blanket statment, just voiced my opinion. My opinion is that Sennheiser HD600's need additional amplification with the Pono, balanced or not.Your opinion is different. End of discussion for me.

 

[doctorjazz]

I'll throw in my useless $0.02...
I had the Senn 650, sold it, didn't have balanced cables so could only listen single ended from Pono. Definitely lost a lot, had to go line out to a good amp to appreciate the 650. Have balanced cable for the HE-1000, Pono not really able to really drive it (not bad, but not the best HEK can sound). Again, Pono line out into a good amp (mostly use MicroZOTL2, sometimes Liquid Carbon, RSA HR-2), into HEK makes a great sound.

 

[harpo1]

I have the 650's balanced and they sound fine out the pono with headroom to spare.  So it's all about how loud you listen to your music.  As far as the sennheiser sound signature it's there and sounds great IMO.

 

[doctorjazz]

Balanced may be the difference for the Senn...