Balanced XLR cables for audiolab system

[Pedro2]

Out of interest, aren't balanced XLR cables shielded?
Could be useful if the back of your rack looks like the proverbial plate of spaghetti like mine, especially with an AV receiver with eleven speaker patch cables to a wall plate, plus two subwoofer cables, more mains leads than I care to count, etc.?

I can vouch for this as our system is crammed somewhat with cables closely packed. I have experienced hum with silver plated rca cables on a number of occasions. More recently started using balanced xlr cables and still heard some hum with Van Damme silver plated variety. After quick internet search, came across Gotham double shielded microphone cable which is totally silent. May not be an issue for you, though. For what it's worth, I'd not spend too much on balanced cables.I tend to agree with those suggesting pro audio at sensible price is the best option. Or stick with RCA unless your system advises balanced all the way.

 

[davedotco]

Many CD players and dacs use (multiple) chips which result in a balanced (differential) output as standard.

The unbalanced output uses a circuit to bring the two 'phases' of the signal together to produce the regular unbalanced output. In some cases (I have seen this in the past) the unbalanced output is simply one phase of the balanced output, thus negating any advantage of using multiple or differential chip sets.

The MDac has differential outputs so it makes some modest sense to use balanced cables and allow the power amp to turn the balanced signal into an unbalanced signal as late as possible. Their are no level implications here, the designer can set those as he wishes.

Common practice is to have 2 volts on the unbalanced, 2 volts on each phase of the balanced (4 volts total) and adjust the input sensitivity on the receiving amplifier. This gives the designer scope, should he wish, to make the balanced inputs a touch louder, which will always tend to 'sound' better, thus 'proving' the effectiveness of the balanced approach.

 

[TrevC]

It puzzles me why so many people are suffering the delusion that pieces of screened wire used at line levels sound different.

 

[spiny norman]

It puzzles me why so many people are suffering the delusion that pieces of screened wire used at line levels sound different.

It puzzles me why this site says TrevC has made 2234 posts, when all I can see is just the one post, made over and over again. Basically, it just says 'Everyone else is an idiot apart from me'.

 

[andyjm]

It puzzles me why so many people are suffering the delusion that pieces of screened wire used at line levels sound different.

It puzzles me why this site says TrevC has made 2234 posts, when all I can see is just the one post, made over and over again. Basically, it just says 'Everyone else is an idiot apart from me'.

Just because TrevC is in the minority on this forum does not make him wrong, or an idiot come to that.

In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king.