3 pin DIN male connector.
3 pin DIN female connector.
The 3-pin circular DIN connector is a mono audio interface originally standardised under DIN 41524 and now governed by IEC 60130-9:2011 (4th edition), titled “Connectors for frequencies below 3 MHz — Part 9: Circular connectors for radio and associated sound equipment”. It shares the same 13.2 mm outer shell diameter and 1.45 mm pins arranged on a 7.0 mm virtual circle as the wider DIN audio family, but uses 90° pin spacing to distinguish it from the 45° or 180° multi-pin variants. The connector was widely used in European consumer audio equipment — reel-to-reel recorders, amplifiers, and portable cassette recorders — for mono record/playback applications. A 3-pin plug will not mate with a 5-pin socket of differing angular spacing (45° vs 90°).
| Pin | Signal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Audio Input |
| 2 | Screen |
| 3 | Audio Output |
| SHIELD | Ground |
Notes
- Pin 2 (centre) carries the screen/shield reference; Pins 1 and 3 are the signal contacts with 90° angular spacing between them.
- Signal direction is defined from the amplifier socket perspective: Pin 1 receives audio from the source, Pin 3 sends audio to the source or headphone load. On tape recorder equipment the directions on Pins 1 and 3 are reversed.
- Shell outer diameter is 13.2 mm; pin diameter is 1.45 mm; pins are arranged on a 7.0 mm diameter virtual circle.
- Rated at 60 Vac nominal voltage and 4 A nominal current (Lumberg 0131 series per IEC 60130-9); operating temperature −20 °C to +85 °C.
- A 3-pin plug (90° spacing) is mechanically incompatible with 5-pin sockets using 45° or 180° spacing and cannot be forced into them.
Signals
- Audio Input — mono audio signal received by the amplifier from the connected source device (e.g. tape recorder playback output).
- Screen — shield/ground reference for the audio signals; carried on Pin 2 (centre contact).
- Audio Output — mono audio signal sent from the amplifier to the connected source device or headphone load.
- SHIELD — overall cable screen bonded to the connector shell; provides additional RF shielding.
References
- IEC 60130-9:2011 — Connectors for frequencies below 3 MHz, Part 9: Circular connectors for radio and associated sound equipment (4th edition)
- DIN EN 60130-9:2011-12 — German adoption of IEC 60130-9:2011 (DIN Media / DKE)
- Lumberg 0131 Series DIN Connector DIN 41524 — product listing confirming 3-pin standard
- DIN Circular Connectors Reference — Crypto Museum technical archive