IEM - 2 pin dilemma: SE or balanced too?

[JaivNion]

Hi everybody!
My name's John, I'm from Italy and I've just landed here on ASR.

TL : DR
Are Moondrop Chu II, Linsoul 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 or TRUTHEAR x Crinacle ZeroRed natively balanced? Or are them just SE with 4,4 cable capability?

Verbose version
Starting to go deeper into the audio-quality awareness, I'm evaluating IEMs to be paired with my brand new iBasso DC04pro.
Since it would be just an entry-level purchase, I'd rather remain below the < 50€ budget.

According to that, my readings have brought me to consider between the following, all the three with 2 pin cable entry:

• Moondrop Chu II
• Linsoul 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
• TRUTHEAR x Crinacle ZeroRed

And that's my question:
Can a 2 pin earphone, shipped with 3,5mm cable, really be a balanced earphone?
As I read it can be done, If I put them on with a 4,4mm cable, would them play like a natively balanced IEM or would they just be more easily drived by my DAC?


Thank you all for your time and excuse me for my poor english and If I picked the wrong section in the forum.
Read u soon!

 

[unpluggged]

Can a 2 pin earphone, shipped with 3,5mm cable, really be a balanced earphone?

There is no such thing as "balanced headphone/earphone". The concept of balanced (or differential) drive applies to amplification.

 

[Jimbob54]

If there is a detachable cable then any IEM (or headphone) can be run balanced if you have an amp with balanced output and a replacement (properly wired) cable with either 2.5mm or 4.4mm termination.

There is no point doing that for most IEM that are pretty efficient. The Zero Red is a bit harder to drive but any 1v dongle should be fine single ended.

What you absolutely shouldnt too (not that you were suggesting you would) is run a pair with 3.5mm cable into a balanced amp/ dongle using an adapter. You can, however, adapt a 2.5mm or 4.4mm pair to a single ended amp.

 

[JaivNion]

So, since my iBasso DC04pro has both the SE 3,5mm and the 4,4mm termination, plugging i.e. the Moondrop Chu II to the 4,4 I would benefit from balanced output?

 

[Jimbob54]

So, since my iBasso DC04pro has both the SE 3,5mm and the 4,4mm termination, plugging i.e. the Moondrop Chu II to the 4,4 I would benefit from balanced output?

If you bought a 4.4mm cable for the Chu 2 then you could plug it into the Ibasso 4.4. There would be no "benefit" to doing so and you would definitely "lose" the amount you spent on the 4.4mm replacement cable. If you hate the Chu 2 stock cable and wanted to replace it anyway, you could perhaps justify the 4.4mm replacement. But no benefit other than more unused power from the iBasso .

 

[JaivNion]

So what's the point in buying BA capable earphones?

 

[Jimbob54]

So what's the point in buying BA capable earphones?

If they are hard to power properly, all other things being equal, a balanced amplifier can supply double the voltage than its single ended counterpart. But if your amp has enough to power a headphone single ended, no benefit whatsoever.

If you ONLY had a balanced amp then of course you would need to adapt your earphones to a balanced connection.

 

[JaivNion]

Oh!
I thought that, by receiving more power, balanced devices were driven more easily and, then, they played more accurately and with more details.

Thank you!

 

[Jimbob54]

Oh!
I thought that, by receiving more power, balanced devices were driven more easily and, then, they played more accurately and with more details.

Thank you!

Nope. Most iem at normal level will be using tens or low hundreds of milivolts. Your ibasso is likely a 2v max on 3.5mm and 4v on the 4.4mm.