RCA to XLR Or Not?

ksnisbet86

Im currently running rca to rca from my receiver to my amp. New house so its new wiring and my stuff is running on a dedicated 20 amp fuse. Question is, will it make that much of a difference if i go from rca-rca to rca-xlr? And if so could anybody recommend any good cables that arent gonna break the bank? Even if i dont have to go to the rca-xlr combo route what are some of the better rca-rca cords out there?

Thanks!

ben62670

Stick with RCA to RCA. The benefits of XLR are nullified when you have an RCA on one end.
Ben

ksnisbet86

ok, great! thanks for the information!!....any idea what the best rcas to get are? well that wont break the bank?

ben62670

I sell them so I would prefer to let others chime in. Also please list associated gear.
Thanks
Ben

John K.

KS, as Ben correctly points out, there's no benefit in simply using a cable with an XLR connection on one end and one component that has a balanced XLR input. The reason is that there have to be three things for there to be a balanced signal path which gives higher resistance to electrical interference(not really needed in most home environments which don't have unusual levels of such interference): balanced output circuitry in the sending component, a cable with two central conductors rather than the one which a coaxial cable with RCA plugs has, and balanced input circuitry in the receiving component. The balanced output sends out two signals rather than one along the two wires of the cable, but one is reversed 180 degrees in polarity. The result is that the two music signals travel down the wires in opposite polarity, while any interference striking the cable travels down them in the same polarity. Then, the balanced input circuitry in the receiving component "re-reverses" the polarity so that the music signals are now of the same polarity and add to each other, while the noise signals are now of opposite polarity and tend to cancel each other out.

Again though, while this may be helpful in professional installations involving long runs in an environment with lots of electrical interference, for typical home audio use the standard shielded coaxial cable with RCA plugs on the ends is entirely satisfactory. As to which ones to get, this is an area of audio where there's essentially no correlation between price and sound quality. The cable simply forms a low resistance path for the electromagnetic wave traveling down its outside which is carrying the music signals. The cables which I've used for several years in various lengths are these from MonoPrice , which are inexpensive cables of excellent quality which do their simple job as well as anything.

ksnisbet86

all right, that actually helps out alot, its just, ive demoed some audioquest wires and ive actually heard a difference in the low end of speakers versus a different cable that made a difference more with the mids and highs....i was just curious about the rca to xlr inputs because audioquest has the setup of rca that you mention but i dont think my receiver sends out a balanced input although my amp would receive one. As far as equipment its a Pioneer Elite SC-25 Receiver and ive got that going to adcom 5800 amp....which is powering Polk Rti 10's, im happy with the sound, however i wouldnt mind a little more low end for my music is all.
thanks for the explanation!

BlueFox

John K. wrote: »

... which are inexpensive cables of excellent quality which do their simple job as well as anything.

What other "anything" cables have you compared? Or are you just talking out your butt once again?

TECHNOKID

BlueFox wrote: »

What other "anything" cables have you compared? Or are you just talking out your butt once again?

How typical, others express personal opinions and look what happens when it isn't in line with some other peoples opinions.

Instead of challenging someone's that doesn't share your opinion, why don't you try to be proactive and provide the OP with logical, scientific reasons to back your own thinking? Can you do that withouth turning another thread into a nasty cable debate spoling the OP's thread?

im happy with the sound, however i wouldnt mind a little more low end for my music is all.

Now that is what is important. If you are happy with the sound and you already own the cable, might as well stick with it. Audioquest cables are decent cables.