Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/16

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Subject: [Leica] OT: Audiophile Question
From: jbm at jbm.org (Jeff Moore)
Date: Fri Jan 16 13:50:11 2009
References: <COL119-W39405754CB1E7C351F1C4282D70@phx.gbl>

2009-01-14-22:44:59 Greg Lorenzo:
> I've got a new amplifier to hook-up to a new pre-processor. I can
> connect the two together with either RCA or XLR cables.
>  
> Is there a noticeable benefit to hooking these up with XLR cables rather 
> then RCA jacks?
>  
> The distance between both units is approximately 4 feet.

One advantage of a balanced connection is noise cancellation -- the
northgoing and southgoing halves of the signal presumably pick up the
the same noise signals, which cancel out when halves are summed.  But I
doubt this is much of an issue with a four-foot run.

The other potential advantage (or disadvantage) depends on the internal
architecture of your equipment.  Several of the very best lines of audio
equipment are laid out inside, to the greatest extent possible, in a
balanced fashion -- separate traces, distinct D/A converters and driver
circuitry...  if the pre-pro and amp are designed this way, then I'd
expect balanced cabling (if of similar quality to the single-ended
cables you'd otherwise be using) to sound better -- in part because
there'd be extra conversions from balanced to single-ended to balanced
at this interface.  That, and some of the magic might leak out.

  http://www.balanced.com/

  http://www.spectralaudio.com/

  http://www.krellonline.com/

  http://www.marklevinson.com/

  http://www.thetadigital.com/



Replies: Reply from Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com (Frank Dernie) ([Leica] OT: Audiophile Question)
Reply from gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo) ([Leica] OT: Audiophile Question)
In reply to: Message from gregj_lorenzo at hotmail.com (Greg Lorenzo) ([Leica] OT: Audiophile Question)