Balanced Cables - Cardas Crosslink v Signal Cable Analog 2 XLR

EndersShadow

So I'm snagging a B&K Reference 50 pre-amp for my setup. My DacMagic has XLR outputs. I'd like to utilize them with the B&K.

I've found 2 options in my price range on the used market. I cant afford both, just one

1. 2m set of Signal Cable Analog 2 XLR
2. .75m set of Cardas Crosslink cables

My goal with this setup 2 fold. I want to go XLR from the DAC to Pre. Then I will be splitting the system into 2 different setups.

1. XLR outputs into a set of Active Studio Monitors on my desk. This is for casual listening and just relaxing.
2. RCA outputs to either a amp of sorts (thinking tubes) to power my RTA 11TL's and any other small floorstander or bookshelf I get

So right now the DAC and pre-amp can be close to each other so the shorter ones would work "OK".... and my setup would work ok with them with buying some long lengths of either dougs Furex 10/2 or some Audioquest FLX 14/4 cable as well....

But I'd like the 2m ones so I can use them to move the pre-amp onto my desk and put the Parasound next to it so I can run shorter speaker cables with my RTA 11TL's while I wait to find the right studio monitors for my space.....

I'd love to hear thoughts on which would be a decent set of XLR cables.

Either are a decent option but I need to move quick on either set.

aboroth00

In my experience, when I switched around with XLR's I get much less improvement than when I switched speaker cables or RCA interconnects. I didn't get much improvement over cheapo XLR's to Canare or to Mogami's. Currently Mogami Gold's are my reference and seem to do an excellent job. Just my 2c.

tonyb

Why only those 2 choices Dan ? I can't speak to the balanced versions, but Cardas is going to have a more laid back sound than the Signals.....in rca form anyway.

Not sure I fully understand what your trying to do by only going balanced from dac to pre. Usually to reap the rewards of balanced connections a system should be balanced from beginning to end.

That said, differences in balanced cables seem to be more slight than with RCA cables imho.

EndersShadow

aboroth00 wrote: »

In my experience, when I switched around with XLR's I get much less improvement than when I switched speaker cables or RCA interconnects. I didn't get much improvement over cheapo XLR's to Canare or to Mogami's. Currently Mogami Gold's are my reference and seem to do an excellent job. Just my 2c.

Thanks for the heads up. The cables are about 15 bucks different price wise so its not a deal breaker if the quality is better on one. That said I am slightly OCD about matching cables so the Signals would be cheaper to use with my studio monitors in the future.....

nspindel

Back in my balanced days I used Signal XLR's, they sounded super. Experimented with some MIT XLR's and couldn't really tell the difference. I'm back in the RCA world again with Signal, very happy with them. Frank is a great guy and has always hooked Polk members up with a discount.

EndersShadow

tonyb wrote: »

Why only those 2 choices Dan ?

Because I'm a cheap ba$tard Tony . I found these 2 options on the used market and they fall into what I can afford right now. I'm open to other options but given my 55 dollar budget its gonna be hard to do.

tonyb wrote: »

Not sure I fully understand what your trying to do by only going balanced from dac to pre. Usually to reap the rewards of balanced connections a system should be balanced from beginning to end.

The system I will likely listen to the most in there (studio monitors + sub) will be fully balanced. My other system will be balanced to the pre-amp and then RCA out until or if I find a SS amp I like with balanced inputs. But I'm leaning tubes which means no XLR input as I dont know of a single tube amp out there that offers balanced in.

tonyb wrote: »

I can't speak to the balanced versions, but Cardas is going to have a more laid back sound than the Signals.....in rca form anyway.

That said, differences in balanced cables seem to be more slight than with RCA cables imho.

Thanks, thats kinda what I was looking for.

nspindel wrote: »

Back in my balanced days I used Signal XLR's, they sounded super. Experimented with some MIT XLR's and couldn't really tell the difference. I'm back in the RCA world again with Signal, very happy with them. Frank is a great guy and has always hooked Polk members up with a discount.

Thanks for letting me know. The only issue I had with his RCA's was the grip of death. I ran them and eventually moved to Kimber, but Kimber XLR's are a pricey bunch. And the XLR cables shouldn't have the same death grip problem either.

vc69

EndersShadow wrote: »

But I'm leaning tubes which means no XLR input as I dont know of a single tube amp out there that offers balanced in.

There are many, many tube amps that offer balanced inputs. ARC, VTL, BAT, to name only the smallest of handfuls.

EndersShadow

vc69 wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

But I'm leaning tubes which means no XLR input as I dont know of a single tube amp out there that offers balanced in.

There are many, many tube amps that offer balanced inputs. ARC, VTL, BAT, to name only the smallest of handfuls.

hehehehe..... yeah, but the prices on those babies are a bit more than I'd want to pay......

I was thinking more in line with a older vintage tube amp thats been redone

vc69

EndersShadow wrote: »

I was thinking more in line with a older vintage tube amp thats been redone

Gotcha. I'm a single-ended fan myself.

EndersShadow

vc69 wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

I was thinking more in line with a older vintage tube amp thats been redone

Gotcha. I'm a single-ended fan myself.

The goal is here 2 systems. 1 for computer listening thats entirely XLR (except the sub) and another thats 1/2 XLR, 1/2 RCA for my 2 channel.

[Deleted User]

I bought some Aural Harmony Sonnet II's from headrott
and as he put it, they are buttery smooth.

aboroth00

Going balanced on both my desktop and ht systems . Balanced is nice because it's less fussy about cables and noise. Can't stand noise...

EndersShadow

aboroth00 wrote: »

Going balanced on both my desktop and ht systems . Balanced is nice because it's less fussy about cables and noise. Can't stand noise...

I'm also debating the switch to balanced in my HT. Marantz 7009 or Marantz 7702/8801.... thats where I'm stuck..... Likely get the 7009 though, so I can use heights/wides/surround rears w/o having to snatch another amplifier.

tonyb

I hear ya on being cheap Dan. Didn't I send you some balanced cables some moons ago ? Did they work ? Or maybe I'm thinking of someone else, not such a stretch given my mental capacity lately.

EndersShadow

tonyb wrote: »

I hear ya on being cheap Dan. Didn't I send you some balanced cables some moons ago ? Did they work ? Or maybe I'm thinking of someone else, not such a stretch given my mental capacity lately.

You did, and I used em for a bit and they work good. This is my next step up from them as cables do matter .

Mainly my issue with using them 24/7 was the pre-amp they were connected to didnt have a remote with it and it wasnt positioned where I could turn it up or down quickly.

So I moved to my integrated for a bit which used RCA inputs only. I also discovered my DacMagic has issues with sending XLR and RCA at the same time. Its supposed to work, but I got dropout on the XLR sources every 3 seconds that way. It wasnt the cables fault I dont believe (it worked with with XLR or RCA ONLY, just not together).