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[The_Traced]

I have purchased these set of cables to use for balanced mode.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/KEAAAOSwrklVDYJb/$_1.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/sxEAAOSweW5VDYNh/$_1.JPG

I use them for my speaker system and in the car via aux 3.5mm.

Are these cables safe to use with the Pono player?

Thanks.

[shieber]

The only way to know if they are safe for pono is to know how the cables are wired. The pos and neg wires for channel A must be entirely isolated electrically from channel B. There are tech papers on the pono website (see attached) that explains bal mode and the wiring needed. It is unique wiring configuration and off the shelf stuff won't work.

Don't use pono in bal mode unless you are certain the wires are correct or you could brick the device, blowing all 4 amps.

I don't know what kind of jack is on the end of the cable. You would have to have headphones with the channels wired separately. If your phones are designed for bal and have an xlr plug and the jack on that cable is xlr then the cable will work BUT ONLY IF the wires go to the plug contacts in the correct configuration. You can't tell that by looking at a picture. You need to trace the wires. Some stuff sold on ebay say sit works bal on anything--that bull.

If the cable is specifically designed for pono and no other device, then it cam work. Contact the cable maker to be sure. On the ebay store for this seller, it claims that it has a cable specifically made for pono based on the pono tech sheets--if that is true, and this of one of those cables, then it should work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pono-Player-Headphone-Cable-Balanced-4-Pin-XLR-Adapter-/171600336189

[Frobozz]

There was a post in the "Pono Announcements" section of the Pono Community about those cables.  Post was on April 1.
I can't manage to figure out how to link directly to that post in the community.  I'll quote it here.

Short answer is don't use those two cables.  You're using the headphone converter cable to do the same as the 3.5mm to RCA cable (to connect to an amplifier). And the post mentions that the 3.5mm to RCA cable could cause damage to the PonoPlayer. 

Ian Kendrick (Moderator)
INCORRECTLY CONFIGURED BALANCED MODE CABLES

For people interested in balanced doe operation, the following should be read:

1. Tech Sheets 02 and 03 describe the correct and only configuration for balanced mode cables for use with the PonoPlayer. You can find these documents in the Knowledge Section.
2. Recently an eBay seller, Venus Audio, has been selling balanced mode cables that do not conform to Tech Sheets 02 and 03.
3. We have been in dialogue with the seller to find out the configuration of the cables.
4. From what we understand from the information we have been given:
a. It is possible that the 3.5mm to RCA cables may cause damage to the PonoPlayer.
b. The headphone ‘converter’ does no more than put the cans out of phase, but we think it should not cause any damage.
5. Neither of these cables should be used, they do not implement any kind of balanced mode in the headphones or hifi, just allow the inappropriate use of balanced mode coming out of the PonoPlayer.
6. The seller has now withdrawn both cables from sale.
7. We understand that 7 of the 3.5 mm to RCA pairs of cables and around 40 of the headphone adapters have been sold
8. Pono cannot be held responsible for any damage caused by any cables that do not full conform in wiring configuration and termination (plugs) to those described in Tech Sheets 02 and 03.
9. If you have purchased either of these cables we suggest:
a. You contact the seller directly.
b. Let Support know - this only applies to the 3.5mm to RCA cable pairs because of the potential for damage to the PonoPlayer.
10. We strongly recommend that, before purchasing any balanced mode cables for your PonoPlayer, for headphones or hifi connection, that you get written confirmation that they conform to Tech Sheet 02 or 03 as appropriate. This is the only way to ensure that the cables are correctly configured before you buy.
11. If you see any balanced mode cables for sale for use with the PonoPlayer that look like they do not conform to Tech Sheets 02 and 03 specifications, please let Support and/or the moderators know immediately.

Hope this bottoms this out.
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April 1, 2015 at 3:03 PM

[Charles Hansen]

There was a post in the "Pono Announcements" section of the Pono Community about those cables.  Post was on April 1.
I can't manage to figure out how to link directly to that post in the community.  I'll quote it here.

Hi Frobozz,

There is a "secret" trick for linking to individual questions in the PonoForum. The software platform is by SalesForce and is not "normal" forum software. Pono is working on both enhancing the user interface and publishing a "guide" to the forum. In the meantime, the way that the PonoForum works is that everything is categorized into a "Topic". In this case the post was cross-posted to the Topics "Pono Announcements", "The Pono Player", and "The Kitchen Floor" for maximum exposure.

At the bottom of the original post (not the replies) will be the link "Share". Click on this link and a window will pop-up. In the upper right corner of this window is a link "Show link to post". Click on this and you will get the URL to the post in question. In this case it is:

https://www.ponomusic.com/0D51500001adObV

However, this link will only work if you are a member of the PonoForum. Therefore quoting it was a good idea.

Hope this helps,
Charles Hansen
Ayre Acoustics, Inc.

[REShaman]

Hi Frobozz,

There is a "secret" trick for linking to individual questions in the PonoForum. The software platform is by SalesForce and is not "normal" forum software. Pono is working on both enhancing the user interface and publishing a "guide" to the forum. In the meantime, the way that the PonoForum works is that everything is categorized into a "Topic". In this case the post was cross-posted to the Topics "Pono Announcements", "The Pono Player", and "The Kitchen Floor" for maximum exposure.

At the bottom of the original post (not the replies) will be the link "Share". Click on this link and a window will pop-up. In the upper right corner of this window is a link "Show link to post". Click on this and you will get the URL to the post in question. In this case it is:

https://www.ponomusic.com/0D51500001adObV

However, this link will only work if you are a member of the PonoForum. Therefore quoting it was a good idea.

Hope this helps,
Charles Hansen
Ayre Acoustics, Inc.

Thank you for this clarification as well.

Best,
Richard