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MOONDROP Releases DAWN Portable DAC/Amp Dongle with 4.4 mm Balanced Output

VSG

VSG

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After a successful launch of its MOONRIVER 2 portable DAC/amplifier (review coming up on TechPowerUp), MOONDROP announced a cut-down version using the same dual Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC chips and dual crystal oscillators, but in a dongle form factor. Making the DAWN quite novel in the dongle market is the output adopting a 4.4 mm balanced TRRS connector rather than the usual 3.5 mm audio jack, meaning you will have to get adapters or go with headphones/earphones that use 4.4 mm cables. In return, this fully balanced connection provides some truly excellent and independently verified metrics including an SNR of 132 dB and THD+N 0.00017% with up to 4 Vrms output in high gain that translates to an output power of 230 mW@32 Ω and 54 mW@300 Ω to easily drive the vast majority of consumer headphones even, let alone earphones/IEMs. The MOONDROP DAWN with its aluminium alloy shell weighs under 14 g, measures 120 x 16.4 mm, can decode PCM playback up to 32-bit/768 kHz and native DSD256, and costs $70 from the likes of HiFiGo and SHENZHENAUDIO for those interested.



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Tigger said:
4.4mm wtf is that, never even heard of it before. Sounds like something Apple would come up with.
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Balanced audio connector. Most of us normal people wouldn't buy headphones that has that kind of a connector.
 
Tigger said:
4.4mm wtf is that, never even heard of it before. Sounds like something Apple would come up with.
Click to expand...

There are 2.5, 3.5, and 4.4 in standard (also stuff like XLR). 4.4 and 2.5 are balanced, so is XLR. FWY my daily driver headphones are moondrop blessing 2 IEMs and I have a balanced portable DAC and a balanced cable on them.

4.4 is super duper common. If you buy a 100 buck pair of Sony or Sennheiser over ear headphones it's going to come with a 4.4 adapter because if you are plugging them to even a 100 buck desktop DAC or AMP odds are it's input is going to be 4.4, lots of speakers and studio monitors use 4.4 connectors as well.

Also all of apples stuff is wireless.
 
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audiophiles are the most gullible people
 
TheLostSwede said:
Balanced audio connector. Most of us normal people wouldn't buy headphones that has that kind of a connector.
Click to expand...

Most normal people actually do buy headphones with 4.4! The thing is you can adapt 3.5 or 2.5 to 4.4 The issue is that while 3.5 is unbalanced and 2.5 is 4.4 can come in either. Bellow is Sony's best seller, comes in at under 100 bucks, and is clearly showing with the adapter. Generally with 4.4 adapter. 4.4 stuff is usually on the actual equipment itself, with headphones you're usually using an adapter.

In the case of straight 4.4 cables your usually going to see them on over ear headphones where each headphone itself has a 4.4 and the ends terminate in XLR cables where you plug into a DAC or amp. Or in rare cases IEM cables for when at home.



Sony.PNG
 
SOAREVERSOR said:
Most normal people actually do buy headphones with 4.4! The thing is you can adapt 3.5 or 2.5 to 4.4 The issue is that while 3.5 is unbalanced and 2.5 is 4.4 can come in either. Bellow is Sony's best seller, comes in at under 100 bucks, and is clearly showing with the adapter. Generally with 4.4 adapter. 4.4 stuff is usually on the actual equipment itself, with headphones you're usually using an adapter.

In the case of straight 4.4 cables your usually going to see them on over ear headphones where each headphone itself has a 4.4 and the ends terminate in XLR cables where you plug into a DAC or amp. Or in rare cases IEM cables for when at home.



View attachment 250555
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No, 1/4" (6.35mm) is not the same as 4.4mm
 

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bubbly1724 said:
No, 1/4" (6.35mm TS/TRS) is not the same as 4.4mm (TRRS)
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It's even a bit more fucked up than that. There are the OMTP and CTIA. But I'll leave it to @VSG or somebody else here to do an article on it.

Edit: thinking of jacks I couldn't help it but to think of this:
 
SOAREVERSOR said:
One day a review covering something with XLR is going to show up here and people are going to shit bricks.
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I've am writing a review with two separate XLR cables in it lol, but let me share this XLR to 1/4" TRS adapter to complete this circle jerk ongoing:

IMG_0339.jpg
 
How would you even use a balanced signal to a pair of headphones unless they have their own built in amplification?
 
mashie said:
How would you even use a balanced signal to a pair of headphones unless they have their own built in amplification?
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:banghead:
I'll give you a good starting point - TRS cables have 3 wires in them - L, R, and a common ground for both channels. Balanced TRRS cables have 4 wires - L, R, and a SEPARATE ground for each channel.

Please google why is that.

VSG said:
let me share this XLR to 1/4" TRS adapter to complete this circle jerk ongoing:
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You are a bit condescending, my squirelly friend. In all fairness it was them who begged for it first.
 
zlobby said:
You are a bit condescending, my squirelly friend. In all fairness it was them who begged for it first.
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I was referring mostly to those who found it easier to comment here rather than do a simple Google search btw, not you and the others trying to explain.
 
zlobby said:
:banghead:
I'll give you a good starting point - TRS cables have 3 wires in them - L, R, and a common ground for both channels. Balanced TRRS cables have 4 wires - L, R, and a SEPARATE ground for each channel.
Click to expand...
Oh I'm fully aware how balanced cables/signals work as I have 16 channels of that in my home cinema. But you only use balanced signals before the amplifier, not between the amplifier and the speakers (unless they are active).

So back to my point, how is this used in a headset?
 
Mussels said:
I've got plenty of TRS and TRRS cables and headphones here, i also never knew TRRS had the optional 4.4mm connector


I googled it, got this diagram and decided i'll leave it to the audiophiles
View attachment 250615

crack DNA schitt mjolnir... i googled 3.5 vs 4.4 :banghead:
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Here are the usual three cable connectors on the source side that are used for earphones/IEMs these days (2.5 mm TRRS balanced, 3.5 mm TRS single-ended, 4.4 mm TRRS balanced):

1654936940094.png


The 2.5 mm connector is going out of fashion these days in favor of the newer, more expensive 4.4 mm Pentaconn connector (https://pentaconnglobal.com/index.asp?p=/static/about.html) originally brought to market for Sony in ~2017 but is open-source and has been adopted by others since.
 
$70 seems somewhat acceptable for a DAC/Amp of that size.
 
mashie said:
How would you even use a balanced signal to a pair of headphones unless they have their own built in amplification?
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Calling it "balanced" is just a misuse of the term.
But that's typical for the hi-fi/audiophile market, which relies on fooling clueless people.

Here's Amir from ASR explaining this mess:
 
Tigger said:
So in effect it is a differential connection, not balanced
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No it is just a connection as you would have to a regular speaker instead of sharing ground between two of them. If it was differential you would need extra electronics in the headphones.

To do differential you need three prongs which is why TRS can be used for mono balanced signals, for stereo balanced you would need five.
 
mashie said:
No it is just a connection as you would have to a regular speaker instead of sharing ground between two of them. If it was differential you would need extra electronics in the headphones.

To do differential you need three prongs which is why TRS can be used for mono balanced signals, for stereo balanced you would need five.
Click to expand...

Did you watch the video.
 
It's just a connection with separate grounds for the left and right channels. It allows, but does not require, the use of balanced output stages.
 
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