XLR vs. RCA interconnects: is there a difference?

[Dom]

I'm not very tech savvy but on this occasion not my fault. Why should I have to change my email address just to continue using this site? After several emails to Admin support and zero response from them the only way forward I could see was to rejoin with a different username.

FFS mate, I feel for you. I might as well Like your posts just so you can catch up a bit.

 

[DougK1]

FFS mate, I feel for you. I might as well Like your posts just so you can catch up a bit.

Cheers Dom, just grateful to be back mate I don't come on here for trophies, I like the people on here, good bunch of guys.

 

[Friesiansam]

I'm not very tech savvy but on this occasion not my fault. Why should I have to change my email address just to continue using this site? After several emails to Admin support and zero response from them the only way forward I could see was to rejoin with a different username.

WHF admin need to do better, not the right way to treat a longstanding member.

 

[nopiano]

More like a bad penny

🤣🤣🤣


I think you’re more of a ‘good egg’!

 

[Jasonovich]

Cheers Dom, just grateful to be back mate I don't come on here for trophies, I like the people on here, good bunch of guys.

If your old account is pending verification, just change old email with the new email in settings. You should then receive WHF email with the verification link, it's what I did.
As you know Doug, I had the same issue, no matter how many times I gave them my outlook email, I was not getting the verification link, so in the end I gave WHF my Gmail account, not ideal, I get all the spam going there, and some odd stuff from young ladies I never met promising me a good time...er hum.

 

[nopiano]

However, if you already own the cables then, if your equipment has XLR connectors I would use them....
My amp has one pair of inputs but I don't own any XLR cables but would use them if I did.

That was my preference too, and the Krell pair of mine that you heard were connected that way. But I’ve more recently read that some balanced connections are created with special transformers added onto the unbalanced circuitry. So you do get the higher output and XLR connection (good things, ime) but the SQ depends on the transformer, and therefore overall may be ‘less pure’ than using the unbalanced RCA phono option.

 

[DougK1]

If your old account is pending verification, just change old email with the new email in settings. You should then receive WHF email with the verification link, it's what I did.
As you know Doug, I had the same issue, no matter how many times I gave them my outlook email, I was not getting the verification link, so in the end I gave WHF my Gmail account, not ideal, I get all the spam going there, and some odd stuff from young ladies I never met promising me a good time...er hum.

Understood, and yes our problems were the same, seems it affected quite a few people over the Christmas period. I'll keep this username as it won't confuse people as much as my old one did

 

[Jasonovich]

As Gray mentioned an old thread relating to RCA v XLR's dating back to 2014 had already made it's round on WHF, and I was hoping in 2024, they'll be a new twist from the usual XLR better using long cables to No difference in sound quality. The concensus is pretty much the same throughout.

Oh look NoPiano was making the rounds back then -Seen it, Done it, Worn the T-Shirt ha ha ha. Apologies from me, if this is all Deja Vu


Anyway, XLR's are pretty cool.
Somebody mentioned in 2014 thread and I agree, balanced connections are about noise cancellation, not sound quality.

 

[Gray]

Anyway, XLR's are pretty cool.
Somebody mentioned in 2014 thread and I agree, balanced connections are about noise cancellation, not sound quality.

The bottom line is that where balanced is necessary (and it can be essential), then it's about sound quality because its about noise cancellation.

But it's not necessary in (most) domestic situations - no real harm in using it though.

(As a connector I'd prefer to see gold-pinned Neutrik XLR, rather than any RCA plug / sockets).

 

[James105]

Understood, and yes our problems were the same, seems it affected quite a few people over the Christmas period. I'll keep this username as it won't confuse people as much as my old one did

I miss Wayne

 

[Jasonovich]

I miss Wayne

Wayne will always be in our hearts and mind. Doug has broke free from his cacoon, he has wings. Ok that's enough of the Redbull 😂

 

[Jasonovich]

The bottom line is that where balanced is necessary (and it can be essential), then it's about sound quality because its about noise cancellation.

But it's not necessary in (most) domestic situations - no real harm in using it though.

(As a connector I'd prefer to see gold-pinned Neutrik XLR, rather than any RCA plug / sockets).

Can't fault Neutrik for the quality. I wonder do they make RCA plugs?

 

[record_spot]

At the lengths domestic audio users would need them for, then there's unlikely to be any benefit using XLR over RCA *unless* you're using actives that don't accommodate RCA inputs. You'd then need to use XLRs, either via an adapter, or if your source or preamp has the connectivity, directly.

 

[James105]

I use XLR cables between my AV pre and power amps for several reasons, one being that theres a lot of signal cables, theres a lot of power cables and a lot of speakers cables back there in a very tight space so XLR cables rejecting interference made sense, another being a multi pack came out very reasonable per cable (£3ish) and gave me a set of colours I could allocate so id know which channel is which cable.

 

[Gray]

Can't fault Neutrik for the quality. I wonder do they make RCA plugs?

They do - under their own name and the REAN brand 👍

 

[jjbomber]

Can't fault Neutrik for the quality. I wonder do they make RCA plugs?

I take it that you got today's WORDL in one?