[Howlin Fester]

I was in a Starbucks yesterday and saw a heat treated titanium tumbler. It was absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to see my heat treated titanium hunters.

Unfortunately I was in a hurry and didn't think to take a picture.

 

[sup27606]

  I finally got around to modding a cable so that I could run my PM4s balanced out of my Pono........oh my ....what a treat!
I think it was @sososerious who reported something like the PM4s scale up nicely when balanced out of Pono.
I absolutely agree, and also add that I found this to be a distinctly noticeable improvement.
Balanced the PM4s become significantly more refined.
Really enjoying the PM4s (definitely worth the time spent fiddling with tiny wires and breathing in solder fumes (kidding!)).

So, Trinity would not make a balanced cable for pono to use with PM4/6 like they did with their previous IEMs? I have the pono player and it improves dramatically in the balanced mode.

 

[barondla]

@sup27606 I am fairly certain Bob said there would be a balanced Pono option at a later date. A lot of Pono users buy Trinity IEMs. I never play the Trinity Atlas anyway except balanced with the Pono. Trinity Audio Engineering is one of the few Pono Approved balanced cable providers!

 

[hikergrl]

 
So, Trinity would not make a balanced cable for pono to use with PM4/6 like they did with their previous IEMs? I have the pono player and it improves dramatically in the balanced mode.

Back when the phantom series was announced I believe that Trinity said they were planning on making Pono cables for their phantom series... I guess having decided to switch to a new modular cable system that they will now be focussing on a range of cables for these (and hopefully have a Pono cable).
I have found the same as you with the few iems that I've tried, balanced out of Pono they all improve dramatically.
The PM4 sounds nice in its "regular" mode from the Pono, but having tried it balanced, I won't go back! 
It now sounds like I had really hoped that it would sound from all the hype before it was released.

 

[sup27606]

 
Back when the phantom series was announced I believe that Trinity said they were planning on making Pono cables for their phantom series... I guess having decided to switch to a new modular cable system that they will now be focussing on a range of cables for these (and hopefully have a Pono cable).
I have found the same as you with the few iems that I've tried, balanced out of Pono they all improve dramatically.
The PM4 sounds nice in its "regular" mode from the Pono, but having tried it balanced, I won't go back! 
It now sounds like I had really hoped that it would sound from all the hype before it was released.

 
 

@sup27606 I am fairly certain Bob said there would be a balanced Pono option at a later date. A lot of Pono users buy Trinity IEMs. I never play the Trinity Atlas anyway except balanced with the Pono. Trinity Audio Engineering is one of the few Pono Approved balanced cable providers!

 
I really hope they make pono balanced cable for both the modular system and the old PM4/PM6 ones. The balanced mode of the pono player is in a new league in terms of clarity and soundstage for my existing headphones, although I haven't tried any IEM in the balanced mode with it.

 

[hikergrl]

   
 
 
I really hope they make pono balanced cable for both the modular system and the old PM4/PM6 ones. The balanced mode of the pono player is in a new league in terms of clarity and soundstage for my existing headphones, although I haven't tried any IEM in the balanced mode with it.

I really hope so also.
The Trinity mmcx Pono cable is a really nice piece of kit - I use it for iems and also some Onkyo headphones.
Based on the significant improvement in sound of PM4s balanced, I just ordered the new Master (I was on the fence before).
I believe that the Master will come with a balanced cable (TRRS).
And in case Trinity does not make a Pono cable for their new modular cable system, it is not too difficult to find a TRRS to Pono cable/adapter on ebay.
If not - it should be fairly straightforward to make a Pono cable that connects to the adapter/connection point of the Trinity modular cable.
But hopefully Trinity will remember the Pono users!! (not everyone has AK, Opus#1, or the new Onkyo/Pioneer DAPs!)

 

[dpump]

Those of you who are reporting better sound on the balanced Pono-is the improvement due mostly to the Pono having better sound quality which makes any balanced phone sound better? In other words, is most of the sound improvement due to the amp and not the PM4?
 
I would like to make a balanced cable for my PM4 but I hesitate to cut my stock braided cable. I asked BobTrinity if Trinity could sell the 2-pin connectors by themselves , but he said no. Would be nice if they would sell them to facilitate those of us who would like to make their own cables. Otherwise have to use aftermarket 2-pin connectors.

 

[hikergrl]

  Those of you who are reporting better sound on the balanced Pono-is the improvement due mostly to the Pono having better sound quality which makes any balanced phone sound better? In other words, is most of the sound improvement due to the amp and not the PM4?
 
I would like to make a balanced cable for my PM4 but I hesitate to cut my stock braided cable. I asked BobTrinity if Trinity could sell the 2-pin connectors by themselves , but he said no. Would be nice if they would sell them to facilitate those of us who would like to make their own cables. Otherwise have to use aftermarket 2-pin connectors.

Its difficult to say - unless one has 2 different balanced DAPs or amps to try the PM4s on to compare (sorry I haven't).
Most folks with Pono do tend to agree that headphones/iems sound better balanced from the Pono (with a few exceptions).
 
Speaking in very general terms, running headphones or iems via balanced tends to make them sound more refined (assuming that your amp has a reasonable balanced capability).
This has definitely been my experience (although I haven't tried a lot of gear).
I have a dedicated headphone amp that can output single-ended or balanced and all the 'phones I've tried sound better balanced.
 
Sorry for only providing generalities - prob best to ask in specific DAP/amp threads for opinions about whether a specific piece of kit does a good job of balanced output.
Given that the PM4s do sound better via Pono balanced, I think that its a fairly reasonable assumption that they will also improve when running balanced on other DAPs that have reasonably good balanced outputs.
 
The other option (instead of cutting into Trinity cable) is to buy a cheap 2-pin iem cable and modify.  There seems to be 2 sizes of pin 0.78 and 0.74 mm, however I've seen conflicting reports on the threads on which of these fits the PM4 - perhaps someone can chime in.
There are lots of inexpensive 2-pin cables on ebay that have 4-braided conductors (like the Trinity cables) so would be easy to modify (although shipping to US from China can be a bit of a wait!).

 

[RedTwilight]

So.. Has anyone else not received their PM4 yet?

 

[barondla]

@dpump if you want to learn all about balanced go to the Pono website. Top of page click HOW TO> knowledge. There are wiring guides and designer Ayre/Charles Hansen explains the advantages. Studios use balanced to cut noise in long cable runs. We don't have long cables but running balanced reduces power supply noise. Stereophile tested the Pono and it was more than 10db quieter in balanced mode. Like horn speakers, IEMs are highly efficient. 10 + db of noise reduction is very important to sound quality.

Larger headphones may not gain as much from noise reduction because they aren't as efficient. But balanced also increases power output. This is very helpful with larger headphones.

There is also an advantage of each earpiece not sharing a common ground.


Balanced is the real deal - not just with Pono but with any capable unit.

 

[timorinolee]

So.. Has anyone else not received their PM4 yet?

Me, but black Friday sales though.

 

[RedTwilight]

Me, but black Friday sales though.

 
Ah ok. Shouldn't be too long now then. My preorder one seems to have gone MIA unfortunately. It's been almost 2 months since it shipped.

 

[timorinolee]

Ah ok. Shouldn't be too long now then. My preorder one seems to have gone MIA unfortunately. It's been almost 2 months since it shipped.

I hope so mate, was shipped about 6 weeks ago. Hope it's not lost somewhere. Have you contacted Jake?

 

[Midgetguy]

   
Ah ok. Shouldn't be too long now then. My preorder one seems to have gone MIA unfortunately. It's been almost 2 months since it shipped.

I hope so mate, was shipped about 6 weeks ago. Hope it's not lost somewhere. Have you contacted Jake?

You two both have the very unfortunate aspect of being very far away

. Best of luck to you guys

 

[darranz]

So.. Has anyone else not received their PM4 yet?

I have been extremely unlucky and the spanish mail sent the PM4 back to england instead of sending to my house :'( Jake will send back when it arrives to the trinity office.
Is there any way that you can check with the singapore mail? I know it does not have tracking but with my address I managed that the mail people checked that the iem arrived to Spain... and then, left back to england :'(
If the iems would have not arrived to spain, that would have not been possible.