xlr vs phono

just ordered my new amps and the pre has XLR ins and my cd player has XLR outs. Question is, would I be better off using my really really good quality Black Rhodium DCT RCAs or going for cheaper XLR leads- theres some Chord Chorus' lurking around for reasonable amounts...
The Black Rhodiums will be used for the pre-power amps if XLRs are the better option anyway

 

I reckon you'd be better off with XLRs...especially the VDH D102MkIIIs I'm selling for a bargain price at the moment

Michael.

 

Is the amp truly balanced, or will it just convert the balanced input to single-ended? Is the CDP truly balanced, or does it just convert single-ended to balanced? If either is the case, over a run of around a metre there's no real benefit to using balanced assuming you don't have ground loop problems (and there's no saying the balanced will be implemented properly to avoid that anyway).

 

the amp and cd player have both fully balanced xlr ins/outs. As they should at their respective price points (nearly £6k rrp for both).

Michael thanks for the offer but having owned VDH D102s i have nothing but bad words to say about them.

 

If the components are designed around balanced connections, and the RCAs are just there to increase compatibility then yes, it will be worthwhile using XLR leads. It might be worth getting XLRs that are the same brand and model as your RCA leads, and then sell whichever isn't going to stay (XLRs if they don't do anything for you, RCAs if the XLRs are better).

 

How can one tell whether its a properly implemented balanced connection or not? I presume its a somewhat complex thing to decide, without looking at the circuitry or measuring the outputs?

I wonder as to the implementation of AES/EBU on my cambridge discmagic/superdac. I'm using it in preference to co-axial, but would like to know whether I'm receiving the full benefits of using a balanced connection by knowing whether it is actually implemented properly on my equipment!

 

It's quite difficult without looking at the circuit design.

AES/EBU is a different matter. If it's there, it's there.

 

Issac, if a balnced connection is not a "true balanced" design will it still be louder at same volume pot position? (around 6db IIRC)

 

If you connect one type of balanced output to 2 pins of an input you get +6dB output [largely because you have 2 of everything] versus the single phase output. If it was a transformer you would get the same output in both bal and unbal scenarios, most pro audio setups have this behaviour:

see fig 5b versus fig 6 of:

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/ampins/balanced/balanced.htm

 

AK - yes, if not more than 6dB. The S300's balanced input along with the very hot output of the superDAC is unusable because 9 o'clock is room-shaking.

 

Thanks guys, now as I understand it (a bit) (I think) does that ean that if it is NOT a true balanced design it's then unlikely to be louder than RCA?

I'm running balanced on my main source and pre-power, I was thinking this would be an easy way for rory to check

 

I know my active monitors detect the signal level and so balanced is no louder than unbalanced.

 

ak - the S300 isn't true balanced (but the superDAC is). It depends how the circuit is set up as to how loud it is with any given connection. It is often the case that XLR connections are "hotter" (ie bigger voltages) than unbalanced ones anyway, let alone the 6dB due to the differential mode. It wouldn't be conclusive as to whether it truly balanced or not.

 

See i knew I only understood a little, oh well so much for the hypothesis of the common man