Why is the 4.4mm connector of Sony's portable players not grounded? A standard balanced headphone cable only has four connection points: R+, R-, L+, and L-. However, it does not include a ground connection point on the 4.4mm plug. On the other hand, if the 4.4mm headphone jack was grounded, there could be negative feedback during connection and disconnection. Perhaps for this reason, the Sony 4.4mm connector is not grounded.
Why does sound quality improve after grounding? A prerequisite is that the used 4.4mm headphone cable must be shielded and properly grounded. The body of Sony players, particularly the NW-WM1Z and NW-WM1ZM2, is made of high-purity, high-conductivity, oxygen-free copper plated material, which can provide good grounding for shielded cables. When connecting a shielded cable with a 4.4mm plug, the protective layer of the cable is then grounded to the player's body. As a result, it can better prevent the influence of external electrostatic and electromagnetic interference.
Built-in grounding enhances the reliability and safety of Sony players with a grounded 3.5mm connector. The grounding DJ44S plug is much shorter than the 3.5mm headphone plug, which ensures proper grounding and prevents connector damage due to unbalanced force. Unbalanced force means that the contact point can be excessively displaced in one direction when inserting or removing the plug at an inclined angle. Since the 3.5mm headphone jack usually uses a plastic housing, this can lead to connector damage.
Features:
- Designed for NW-WM1A/WM1Z
- Material: 6063 aluminum
- Internal wiring: 25.5AWG 6N OCC
- Contact group: gold-plated copper
- Weight: 34g
Package Contents:
- Adapter for SONY NW-WM1A/WM1Z