4.4mm Pentaconn Female to 3.5mm TRS Male Adaptor — Use Any 4.4mm Headphone Cable on 3.5mm Outputs
Product description
You have a headphone cable terminated in a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced plug — designed for balanced outputs on DAPs and desktop amplifiers. But you want to use that cable with a device that only has a standard 3.5mm headphone output: a smartphone, a laptop, a standard amp, or a portable source. Without an adaptor, the two cannot connect.
The Headgear Audio 4.4mm Pentaconn Female to 3.5mm TRS Male Adaptor bridges them. The 4.4mm Pentaconn female socket accepts your existing 4.4mm balanced headphone cable's male plug; the 3.5mm TRS male plug goes into any standard headphone output. The balanced signal from your 4.4mm cable is summed to single-ended inside the adaptor — a safe, standard conversion that allows full stereo audio output at the 3.5mm end.
Built using 8-core silver-plated OFC (SPC) conductors in a hand-braided geometry, with high-grade Teflon (PTFE) insulation. The 4.4mm Pentaconn female socket and 3.5mm TRS male plug are both gold-plated for corrosion resistance. Sleeved in Germany-made UV-stable, water-repellent sleeving. Approximately 13cm total length — compact and clean on a desktop or in a bag.
Sound character note: This adaptor uses silver-plated OFC conductors. Contact us on WhatsApp before ordering if you'd like guidance on how it will pair with your specific headphones or system.
How the signal conversion works
The 4.4mm Pentaconn carries a 5-pole balanced signal. This adaptor sums the negative signal legs safely to ground and passes the positive legs through as a standard stereo TRS output:
| Input | Signal | Output | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tip Left positive (L+) | L | Tip Left channel | Passed through |
| Ring 1 Left negative (L−) | GND | Sleeve Ground | Summed to ground |
| Ring 2 Right positive (R+) | R | Ring Right channel | Passed through |
| Ring 3 Right negative (R−) | GND | Sleeve Ground | Summed to ground |
| Sleeve Ground | GND | Sleeve Ground | Common ground |
The output at the 3.5mm end is single-ended (TRS stereo) — not balanced. This is a safe, standard balanced-to-single-ended conversion that does not damage your headphone cable, source, or headphones.
Specifications
Compatible sources — 4.4mm Pentaconn output
Works with any device pairing where the source has a 3.5mm coaxial digital output and the DAC/amp has an RCA coaxial digital input.
Compatible destinations — 4.4mm Pentaconn input
Works with any device pairing where the source has a 3.5mm coaxial digital output and the DAC/amp has an RCA coaxial digital input.
Common use cases
The iFi Zen Stack is one of India's most popular desktop balanced setups. The Zen DAC V2/3 outputs balanced via 4.4mm; the Zen CAN accepts balanced via 4.4mm. As three of our customer reviews confirm — the balanced chain via this cable is a substantial improvement over the unbalanced RCA connection.
The Topping D90 and A90 are a canonical hi-fi desktop stack — both have 4.4mm balanced I/O. This cable keeps the balanced chain clean between them without the bulk of dual 3-pin XLR cables.
Any DAC with 4.4mm balanced line output to any amplifier with 4.4mm balanced line input — SMSL, xDuoo, Cayin, Chord, Burson. One cable replaces two bulky XLR cables.
Connect a desktop DAC's 4.4mm output to a portable balanced amp's 4.4mm input for a hybrid desktop-portable setup — the compact ~15cm cable keeps everything tidy.
Why Headgear Audio
Handcrafted audiophile cables, made with care in Pune, India
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before buying