Balanced versus Unbalanced

[craigpsu]

I am due to receive my XPA-5 on thursday and I want to buy the cables needed for it. Should I hook up the Amp balanced or unbalanced? It should be a short run and I will be using my Yammy 2500 until I get the Pioneer SC-05 in a week or so. Any recommendations for cable manufactures and speaker wires? Thanks

[reeltrouble1]

Balanced always trumps Unbalanced. If your componenets are each fully balanced circuits it would best to run balanced.

Signal Cable. Mention Club Polk.

Ding.

[heiney9]

I am due to receive my XPA-5 on thursday and I want to buy the cables needed for it. Should I hook up the Amp balanced or unbalanced? It should be a short run and I will be using my Yammy 2500 until I get the Pioneer SC-05 in a week or so. Any recommendations for cable manufactures and speaker wires? Thanks

Does your Yammy or the new Pioneer have balanced inputs and outputs........if not then balanced won't work anyways. If yes, it certainly won't hurt to run balanced. You don't truly get the advantage balanced has to offer unless every component in the chain is balanced.

Don't get hung up on it. Balanced has the advantage of being quieter in certain situations over single ended RCA inputs/outputs.

Some components are designed to run in balanced mode....Monarchy amps and Pass "X" series amps are designed in such a way that they benefit greatly from running balanced and are intended to do so and actually loose a bit of performance when using single ended RCA, but these are exceptions and usually reserved for higher end components.

Your typical gear such as Emo, Pioneer, Yammy, etc, etc there is no issue running balanced or RCA. In fact unless ytou have a large noise issue you would never hear a difference.

H9

[craigpsu]

Ok, Thanks for the information. I am going to start buying today, as I have had my speakers in a box for almost two months and I want to get the LSi's out to replace my older RTis. I will definately look into the AVR for balanced/unbalanced. By the way, this forum has been extremly helpful (except for the one thread with the bad EMO story, that has made me a little worried about my choice) in giving purhcase guidance and imparting technical knowledge.

[SolidSqual]

The people over at BAT say running balanced to single-ended results in worse sound than RCA to RCA. They know what they are talking about with this stuff. That being said, I have run XLR to RCA with good results. I am presently all balanced and do notice a difference when compared to XLR to RCA, but that also may be the better quality of my new cables compared to my previous cables.

[ben62670]

With "Balanced" there is a lot of equipment out there that has an XLR jack on it, but converts the signal to unbalanced;)

[heiney9]

With "Balanced" there is a lot of equipment out there that has an XLR jack on it, but converts the signal to unbalanced;)

That is true and why I made the statement in a previous post. It's just a fact that more price conscious gear as well as more compromised designs offer an XLR connection......but are NOT truly balanced.

Those that are truly balanced input to output have a definite sound advantage as is the case with BAT, Pass, Monarchy, Classe, etc, etc, etc.

[SolidSqual]

With "Balanced" there is a lot of equipment out there that has an XLR jack on it, but converts the signal to unbalanced;)

Like the Odyssey Extreme Monos for example:rolleyes: . . . they use a "bridged" XLR connection.

[ShinAce]

With "Balanced" there is a lot of equipment out there that has an XLR jack on it, but converts the signal to unbalanced;)

There it is. Just having the XLR plug doesn't mean the source outputs a balanced signal. A balanced amp is designed slightly differently(differential input).

You really need to do a decent amount of research to make sure the components are truly balanced, and even then, it's like a 3' run.

[Goth child]

Im pretty sure neither the Pioneer or Yamaha have xlr connections,you will need to look at HT processor/pre from someone like ATI/EMO etc. to use the xlr connections.The EMO xpa-1 monoblocks and the rpa-2 are "true"differential mode balanced designs,the xpa-5 is not.

[Ricardo]

Those that are truly balanced input to output have a definite sound advantage as is the case with BAT, Pass, Monarchy, Classe, etc, etc, etc.

Marsh, etc, etc, etc, ;)

[craigpsu]

I am just going to go unbalanced, I know one of the two Receivers I am looking at is not balanced. If I get one that is, then I will just have to live with it. I am not sure after reading some information if I will hear much of a difference anyway.

[heiney9]

Marsh, etc, etc, etc, ;)

Didn't I put that in there.......

Adcom, Marsh, BAT, etc, etc. :)