Looking for 3.5mm balanced TRRS headphones/earphones.

[sitherion]

Hi, I have an old Sharp MD-DR77 minidisc that uses a peculiar headphone output. A 3.5mm 4-pole balanced one. I have had the device since 2004 but recently the Sharp earphones stopped working. I am looking to replace them with something new that also utilises the 4-pole tech but I am confused by what I find online (since I am a noob to audio tech). I would really appreciate any help if you can recommend headphones/IEM that have a 3.5mm balanced, 4-pole pin L+ / R+ / L− / R−.

This is what Sharp is using (bottom of the page): https://global.sharp/products/1-bit/im-dr420h/

I have found balanced cables for IEMs but are all 4.4mm. Any adapter from 3.5mm Male to 4.4mm TRRS female is just a 3-pole 3.5mm or a 4-pole but for mic (which is not the case for SHARP).

Thank you very much!

 

[staticV3]

You're looking for a "3.5PRO" cable/headphone:



They're popular in China.

 

[sitherion]

You are right!!! I had no idea it was called 3.4PRO. Just figured it out how to make it work:

I managed to find a 3.5mm balanced to 4mm adapter: GEEKRIA 3.5mm (4-Pole) Balanced to 4.4mm (5-Pole) Balanced

And I had the Linsoul 7hz zero:2 earphones and I just saw they had a 4.4mm balanced cable for them: Linsoul Tripowin Zonie 16 Core Silver Plated IEM Cable, 2pin 0.78mm, 4.4mm

So I ordered these, £27 together and I’m going to use them as replacement to the original Sharp earphones.

 

[staticV3]

You are right!!! I had no idea it was called 3.4PRO. Just figured it out how to make it work:

I managed to find a 3.5mm balanced to 4mm adapter: GEEKRIA 3.5mm (4-Pole) Balanced to 4.4mm (5-Pole) Balanced

And I had the Linsoul 7hz zero:2 earphones and I just saw they had a 4.4mm balanced cable for them: Linsoul Tripowin Zonie 16 Core Silver Plated IEM Cable, 2pin 0.78mm, 4.4mm

So I ordered these, £27 together and I’m going to use them as replacement to the original Sharp earphones.

If you have a multimeter, then check the connections of your final earphone+cable+adapter contraption first, before you short out and damage anything inside your Sharp.

 

[sitherion]

If you have a multimeter, then check the connections of your final earphone+cable+adapter contraption first, before you short out and damage anything inside your Sharp.

i have! Thanks for letting me know! Wouldn’t have tested it if you didn’t mention. Yep, I treasure my minidisc players I had over the years and I am in no mood to pay the prices I see now for a replacement.

 

[staticV3]

i have! Thanks for letting me know! Wouldn’t have tested it if you didn’t mention. Yep, I treasure my minidisc players I had over the years and I am in no mood to pay the prices I see now for a replacement.

To check, plug out the earphones and you should have two 2pin connectors on one end and the 3.5PRO plug on the other.

Then put the multimeter into Continuity mdoe (the one that beeps when you touch the probes together), and check that each contact on the 3.5PRO plug has a unique connection to one of the earphone pins.

If multiple 3.5PRO contacts go to the same pin, or a single 3.5PRO contact goes to multiple pins, then do not use that cable+adapter with the Sharp.

Also check the contact order: From 3.5 Tip to Sleeve it should be Left 2pin, Right 2pin, Left 2pin, Right 2pin.

 

[Soundproof]

You'll have to check with Hart yourself, but I believe they can make a cable for you with that option, as they seem to offer that jack as part of some of their interconnect kits. (Mk 1 and Mk 3).

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