# What is the difference between 0.75mm and 0.78mm tf10 connectors?



## ratkins

I think this question might not be as stupid as it sounds.

I have a pair of Alclair Duals and wanted to get a short cable for them for use with my new FiiO BTR3. The only listing I could find on Aliexpress was this one, which offered a short cable in 0.75, 0.78, MMCX and other variants. The TF10 connectors pictured are what I wanted (with the pins coming out of an extrusion on the end of the connector) and would fit my Alclairs fine. After searching around here, I saw some people say to go for 0.75mm if you were unsure as you'd just stretch the sockets with 0.78mm. So I did.

And they sent me cables with pins coming out of a recess in the connector, which won't fit my monitors.

After arguing back and forth with the Aliexpress vendor who was insisting I must want 0.78mm pins and me saying the pin size wasn't the problem, we got to this point:


 

To which he says, "All the 0.75mm connectors look like that, you must want 0.78!". But here's the original cable on the bottom, and what they sent me on the top:

 

They look pretty damn close to me.

Google image searching "0.75 tf10" vs "0.78 tf10" is inconclusive (many recessed connectors show up in the 0.78mm search; the 0.75mm search _almost but not exclusively_ shows recessed connectors.)

So does 0.75 vs 0.78 imply anything about the connector design? Or are both pin sizes available in recessed and extruded styles?

How does one distinguish?


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## Ralf Hutter

Mic the diameter of your original pins. .75mm = .029", .078mm = .030".

Not that it makes any difference anyway, .001" is about 1/3 the thickness of a piece of typing paper. 

In other words, your female sockets will never know the difference between the two sizes.


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## ratkins

For future thread archaeologists, Alclair confirmed to me the pins on the cables they supply are 0.78mm, and according to the Aliexpress dealer it does appear all the connectors on the market in the "extruded" style are 0.78mm.


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## N2015122

So my  .75mm cable can also be suitable for any .78mm? Without any connection issues or discrepancy? Thanks in advance for answering! 


Ralf Hutter said:


> Mic the diameter of your original pins. .75mm = .029", .078mm = .030".
> 
> Not that it makes any difference anyway, .001" is about 1/3 the thickness of a piece of typing paper.
> 
> In other words, your female sockets will never know the difference between the two sizes.


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## N2015122

N2015122 said:


> So my  .75mm cable can also be suitable for any .78mm? Without any connection issues or discrepancy? Thanks in advance for answering!


*.75mm cable to .78mm driver*


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## Nick Chia

N2015122 said:


> *.75mm cable to .78mm driver*


Not really, you would likely encounter issues as the connectors and pins would be too loose to snugly fit a 0.78mm input on the IEM that requires a 0.78mm diameter from the pins.

0.75mm and 0.78mm refers to the diameter of the pins on the connector, while many of these two pins also come in different forms such as recessed or flat.


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## TheKDreamer

So kind of like trying to use 0.5mm lead for a 0.7 mm mechanical pencil or less of an issue than that? 
Asking for a friend.


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## Nick Chia

Hmmm... ya probably similar, you will find both to be frustrating events to deal with as the pins/lead will be too loose to use properly use it with the IEM/Mechanical pencil.


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