JTS MA-500 Phantom Power Adapter for CM & CX Electret Microphones

What it is and who it is for

The JTS MA-500 is a phantom power adapter built for CM and CX series electret microphones that use a 4-pole mini XLR connector. It supplies the voltage these capsules need from standard 12 V to 48 V phantom sources or the dedicated PS-1 supply. Streamers and content creators using compatible JTS lavalier or headset mics will find it a direct fit for their existing wiring. It does not serve microphones with different connector types or those that require plug-in power only.

Installation and common issues

Connection is straightforward: link the microphone to the adapter’s mini XLR input and run a standard XLR cable from the adapter to a mixer or interface providing phantom power. The metal body includes a belt clip for worn applications. The only switches are a 10 dB pad and two selectable low-cut filters; forgetting to engage the pad on loud sources can cause clipping, while leaving a low-cut filter active on quiet speech may thin the tone unintentionally.

Capacity and headroom

The adapter passes phantom voltages from 12 V up to 48 V, giving ample headroom for typical console and interface preamps. It handles the signal levels of CM and CX electret capsules cleanly when the attenuator is used for high-SPL sources. Without the pad, very loud vocals or instruments placed close to the capsule can overload the following preamp stage, so the 10 dB reduction is the practical ceiling for clean gain on dynamic material.