Accessory needed: adapter to connect portable DAC to Sennheiser 800s with 6.35 stereo jack

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

Hey, this is my first post, and as a typical forum lurker, I selfishly arrived here to get information for myself... 😬, hopefully it ends up being useful for others

The situation is: I have a Chord Mojo 2 — which has two 3.5mm jack sockets out — and I have a pair of Sennheiser 800S — 6.35mm (1/4 in) stereo jack *plug*. These obviously are incompatible on their own, but I'm struggling to find recommended adapter with this "female" 6.35 & "male" 3.5 configuration; instead, what I've found 90% of the time from google searches is the other way around! I assume this audio accessory exists, and thus I am here to verify that and seek out the best ones from this post. The quality of the adapter must be moderately robust, because I'm going to use the Chord Mojo 2's portability to its fullest potential and go on walks with my hifi setup... a braided cable might be overkill, but I certainly don't want to waste money on a thing that can't take the mildest force on it!

I welcome any comments about how I managed to get these incompatible things (I understand most people connect their cans directly into their DAC/Amp).😅:/ And going off of that, I have a question: will a poor quality 3.5 plug–6.35 socket adapter degrade my 24 bit/192khz audio after conversion (before reaching the headphone cables/drivers)?
Thank you in advance for help here

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

The Sennheisers came with an unbalanced 4.4 mm cable as well. Don't know anything about that, and had never heard of the 4.4mm plug size before (as I'm just a baby audiophile). Is it true that an amplifier must specifically be designed to output to unbalanced headphone cables? There isn't a 3.5mm jack plug –4.4mm socket that would actually work, is there?

 

[Roger_A]

The Sennheisers came with an unbalanced 4.4 mm cable as well. Don't know anything about that, and had never heard of the 4.4mm plug size before (as I'm just a baby audiophile). Is it true that an amplifier must specifically be designed to output to unbalanced headphone cables? There isn't a 3.5mm jack plug –4.4mm socket that would actually work, is there?

You could try these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-Adapter-6-35mm-Adaptor-Converter/dp/B0CLYFFM97/ref=sr_1_5?crid=D3DWHAM60ETY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QdbV7XmzRHNnJd_RRVRztuhV6IHcXHavrllcUnJzbr1aicAUGuwbgir7iegXxbWEcfJLVS-k8m2qQp9d-Y_arg9lNPC6Mb_-UHu8UCLAfe9mAuOHZdvsbz3AL6zspAD0JKMh-q3cqjBsVLTk9HKGuIZKdFM7xTDSjaqp5IV9qrd0rTno4AO-g5_Ya4pN1AwlGm35zm7iDepBPThGab8ngBv0nQYUoBRUOMef4ToT8t8.PfobzogbCkKOHE11YBESsgcvyUbOx1nYNgFtLQ4aNMM&dib_tag=se&keywords=3.5mm+plug+to+6.35mm+socket+1%2F8+to+1%2F4+inch+stereo+audio+jack+adapter&qid=1726128661&sprefix=Jack+plug+6.35mm+to+3.5mm%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-5

 

[Revolutions]

I think the Mojo has 2x 3.5mm stereo outputs? That's so you can plug in 2 pairs of headphones at the same time.

There is no difference in the output of your amp vs the headphones, just the size. So as the post above, a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter is all you need: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Inch-Stereo-3-5Mm-Adapter/dp/B001JYTM96

 

[Gray]

The Sennheisers came with an unbalanced 4.4 mm cable as well.

That's a balanced cable 👍

Is it true that an amplifier must specifically be designed to output to unbalanced headphone cables?

The other way round.
Unbalanced is more common - device has to be a bit more 'special' to put out balanced.

There isn't a 3.5mm jack plug –4.4mm socket that would actually work, is there?

There are certainly 6.35 plug to 4.4 socket adaptors....and there are probably 3.5 to 4.4, but I haven't seen one.

Plug-in adaptors are all very well, but the additional length can result in quite a bit of extra leverage on a socket - not great for portable use.

That's why I used a right-angled plug to make my own, when I wanted to feed a balanced plug from 3.5 mm socket on my laptop and phone:

You'll recognise the bottom plug as the one on your balanced cable.

I would be looking for a similar, stereo, right angled 3.5 plug to socket short cable, if I were you. (Otherwise just be physically careful when using straight adaptors with your Chord).

EDIT: a brief look found the one below - couldn't see mention of the length but I'd be looking for a gold plated (and cheaper) version anyway:

Hosa Headphone Adapter - 6.35mm (1/4") Female TRS to Right-Angle 3.5mm Minijack | eBay

Hosa - 1/4 in TRS to Right-Angle 3.5mm TRS Headphone Adapter. This Hosa adapter is purpose made to adapt a stereo phone plug to a mini stereo phone jack. The right-angle mini stereo plug and pigtail design reduces stress on the input jack and improves connectivity.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

You could try these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headphone-Adapter-6-35mm-Adaptor-Converter/dp/B0CLYFFM97/ref=sr_1_5?crid=D3DWHAM60ETY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QdbV7XmzRHNnJd_RRVRztuhV6IHcXHavrllcUnJzbr1aicAUGuwbgir7iegXxbWEcfJLVS-k8m2qQp9d-Y_arg9lNPC6Mb_-UHu8UCLAfe9mAuOHZdvsbz3AL6zspAD0JKMh-q3cqjBsVLTk9HKGuIZKdFM7xTDSjaqp5IV9qrd0rTno4AO-g5_Ya4pN1AwlGm35zm7iDepBPThGab8ngBv0nQYUoBRUOMef4ToT8t8.PfobzogbCkKOHE11YBESsgcvyUbOx1nYNgFtLQ4aNMM&dib_tag=se&keywords=3.5mm+plug+to+6.35mm+socket+1%2F8+to+1%2F4+inch+stereo+audio+jack+adapter&qid=1726128661&sprefix=Jack+plug+6.35mm+to+3.5mm%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-5

Cool, thank you! It looks like that product had mono: "These mono headphone adapter jack"; I recall the plugs being stereo (2 stripes) for these headphones, so will this adapter still work?

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

That's a balanced cable 👍

The other way round.
Unbalanced is more common - device has to be a bit more 'special' to put out balanced.

There are certainly 6.35 plug to 4.4 socket adaptors....and there are probably 3.5 to 4.4, but I haven't seen one.

Plug-in adaptors are all very well, but the additional length can result in quite a bit of extra leverage on a socket - not great for portable use.

That's why I used a right-angled plug to make my own, when I wanted to feed a balanced plug from 3.5 mm socket on my laptop and phone:
View attachment 7402
You'll recognise the bottom plug as the one on your balanced cable.

I would be looking for a similar, stereo, right angled 3.5 plug to socket short cable, if I were you. (Otherwise just be physically careful when using straight adaptors with your Chord).

EDIT: a brief look found the one below - couldn't see mention of the length but I'd be looking for a gold plated (and cheaper) version anyway:

Hosa Headphone Adapter - 6.35mm (1/4") Female TRS to Right-Angle 3.5mm Minijack | eBay

Hosa - 1/4 in TRS to Right-Angle 3.5mm TRS Headphone Adapter. This Hosa adapter is purpose made to adapt a stereo phone plug to a mini stereo phone jack. The right-angle mini stereo plug and pigtail design reduces stress on the input jack and improves connectivity.

www.ebay.co.uk

OOHH yeah you read with a keen eye, I meant to say "balanced" where I put "unbalanced" haha! And thank you for the clarification with the specificity regarding output into balanced. I think I know a lot more since originally buying the 800s back in March, but i still have a great deal more to learn -- but it's all (including the rest of your post)!

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

Another thought I had with the above new information in mind: has anyone heard a noticeable difference of sound quality from the Mojo 2 based on what "type" its converted audio is being fed into: unbalanced or unbalanced? Because this presents a purchasing choice that I am completely uninformed on.
From the Sennheiser manual:
"For optimum music enjoyment, we recommend using a headphone amplifier such as the Sennheiser HDV 820 and a balanced connection cable such as the one equipped with the 4.4 mm stereo jack plug."

 

[DougK1]

Another thought I had with the above new information in mind: has anyone heard a noticeable difference of sound quality from the Mojo 2 based on what "type" its converted audio is being fed into: unbalanced or unbalanced? Because this presents a purchasing choice that I am completely uninformed on.
From the Sennheiser manual:
"For optimum music enjoyment, we recommend using a headphone amplifier such as the Sennheiser HDV 820 and a balanced connection cable such as the one equipped with the 4.4 mm stereo jack plug."

I have the same headphones and have converted them to balanced, using a Topping A90D head-amp which has both balanced and unbalanced jack sockets. The main difference I noticed with balanced was an increase in volume over unbalanced.
On the whole my experience of the HD800S is left wanting for such an expensive product. They're great with some music, but not so good with the majority of my collection, my HD650's are more "fun". If you intend using the 800's outdoors I seriously doubt you'll hear any difference going balanced.

 

[Gray]

has anyone heard a noticeable difference of sound quality from the Mojo 2 based on what "type" its converted audio is being fed into: unbalanced or unbalanced?

Chord modestly 🤨 describes the Mojo 2 as 'the most advanced DAC / headphone amp in the world'...and it doesn't have a balanced output - which shows what they think of 'balanced' outputs for headphones.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, your Mojo 2 has 2, parallel-wired 3.5mm sockets, to allow simultaneous use by 2 listeners - but they're unbalanced outputs (sometimes described as 'single ended').
So you haven't got the option to use it balanced - but I wouldn't worry about it - you've no doubt got more than enough quality volume.

And yes, you're right about the two stripes on the plug being necessary on any adaptor you get.

 

[Friesiansam]

Another thought I had with the above new information in mind: has anyone heard a noticeable difference of sound quality from the Mojo 2 based on what "type" its converted audio is being fed into: unbalanced or unbalanced?

If you are using a headphone amp with only an unbalanced output, you cannot convert it to balanced, no matter what cable you use. Balanced or unbalanced, is determined by the internal architecture of the amplifier.

 

[Gray]

If you are using a headphone amp with only an unbalanced output, you cannot convert it to balanced, no matter what cable you use. Balanced or unbalanced, is determined by the internal architecture of the amplifier.

Yes, it's essential to understand the above.
My own adaptor for example JUST allows me to use a balanced cable - so I can swap it between a genuinely balanced output (on a Topping A50S) and the unbalanced output from a phone or laptop....but the phone or laptop themselves do not have balanced outputs......in the same way as your Mojo doesn't 😜

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

This is very helpful, about the internal architecture of the amplifier! I sorta got that point from my youtube video watching of reviews for various DAC/amps. I intend to make my next purchase a DAC - Amp stack, and I know enough now to make sure it can put out both balanced and unbalanced to really take advantage of my (pricey) headphones!

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

Yes, it's essential to understand the above.
My own adaptor for example JUST allows me to use a balanced cable - so I can swap it between a genuinely balanced output (on a Topping A50S) and the unbalanced output from a phone or laptop....but the phone or laptop themselves do not have balanced outputs......in the same way as your Mojo doesn't 😜

So tell me, would you recommend this Topping amplifier for a future investment? I've truly begun my fall into the rabbit hole of hifi now...

 

[ClosetotheSupperBrick]

I have the same headphones and have converted them to balanced, using a Topping A90D head-amp which has both balanced and unbalanced jack sockets. The main difference I noticed with balanced was an increase in volume over unbalanced.
On the whole my experience of the HD800S is left wanting for such an expensive product. They're great with some music, but not so good with the majority of my collection, my HD650's are more "fun". If you intend using the 800's outdoors I seriously doubt you'll hear any difference going balanced.

Would you mind illuminating the differences between those two models in the context of rock and metal music? I assume based on the "fun" descriptor, the 650 would be the superior one to most people. I don't think I have that nuanced of an ear, but this question won't hurt.
Thanks for your help so far!

 

[Gray]

So tell me, would you recommend this Topping amplifier for a future investment? I've truly begun my fall into the rabbit hole of hifi now...

You've still got a chance to stay out of the hole 😆

That A50S of mine is OK, but Doug kindly loaned me that A90D of his, so I can more confidently recommend that one - it made my modestly priced, but very good, Sennheiser HD560S headphones sound fantastic.
(Bear in mind that both of those Toppings are amp only models).

Also, I haven't heard your Mojo so I can't tell you that it can be bettered - you would need to decide.

 

[DougK1]

Would you mind illuminating the differences between those two models in the context of rock and metal music? I assume based on the "fun" descriptor, the 650 would be the superior one to most people. I don't think I have that nuanced of an ear, but this question won't hurt.
Thanks for your help so far!

Everything in this game is very personal as we don't share the same ears My experience with the 800's is they excel with classical , jazz, acoustic, and superbly recorded music. They are a very detailed headphone with an expansive soundstage, which also suits movies, but can sound a little bright and thin in the bass dept. The 650's can't beat them for detail or soundstage but they definitely do in bass dept, I also find them far more comfortable than the 800's.
As a note I have no rock or metal in my collection

 

[Gray]

Just as with speakers, the sound of headphones is indeed very personal.

I had a good listen to the 3 models, balanced from the 2 amps.
In terms of both sound and comfort, the results for me were opposite to what I would've expected from the prices.

You really do need to try things for yourself though.
People speak favourably about the comfort of the 560S model, for example....but it's nothing like the comfort of my old 590 model - and not due to old earpads - they've been renewed, but they're the softest I've ever known.....sound is more veiled though 🤪

 

[Roger_A]

Cool, thank you! It looks like that product had mono: "These mono headphone adapter jack"; I recall the plugs being stereo (2 stripes) for these headphones, so will this adapter still work?

Apologies - I hadn't noticed they were mono as most jack plug for hifi use are stereo. Try these instead:

Amazon.co.uk