XLR vs RCA Shootout

...the typical background levels of most houses would not allow you to hear any difference between anything. That is unless you live in a rural country setting where there is no traffic or noise whatsoever. Even then a refrigerator, a computer, or any other appliance running would detract from any subtle difference one could here between two different interconnects.

Great, now you're telling me that all that time I spent listening to different cables over the years and selecting the ones I liked best was all just wishful thinking on my part? And, if you are saying that the typical background noises in my house (which is like most) don't allow me to hear any difference between anything, then does this mean that all power amps sound the same? All preamps sound the same? An iPod sounds the same as a CD player, or a turntable, or an SACD player? That is what you wrote, right? That typical noises "would not allow you to hear any difference between anything."

Have you ever lived in a rural setting? I moved to the middle of nowhere after a lifetime of urban living, and it sure isn't quiet here. For three months kadydids made so much noise it was very difficult to listen to music, and I certainly couldn't drown them out. There's even a Betty Boop episode (called "Stop That Noise") where she can't take the noise of the city any longer and heads to the fabled quietude of the country, only to discover that frogs, insects, and other wildlife make quite a ruckus. She eventually heads back to the hussle and bustle of the city to relax.

So we have Sir Terrence's opinion that we can't hear any difference between anything, and reports from Mr. Pig claiming he can hear differences between different manufacturer's RCA plug, keeping the cable the same. Ah, such a wide and varied swath of humanity populates this audio hobby.
 
if I have to go to extreme lengths to hear differences - lengths that I would not go to in a normal music listening scenario - then the difference is moot to me anyway.

Jblnut

There's the best part of the answer... If things are so small that you have to work to hear a difference, then why even bother... Just go with what you like, and what is most affordable to you, and you'll be even happier than if you stressed over it and worked twice as hard trying to get better..

Kinda like when I stand there and look at one of my bikes or vehicles... I call it the five foot test.. if it looks good or not easily noticeable from 5 feet (cleanliness, scratches, levelness or what ever else) then it's good enough for me..
 
A true balanced line adds 3 dB because it carries 2 signals, 180 degrees out of phase with each other, which are then combined at the input (after the phase is flipped back on the - signal)

Actually, all you know when a line is balanced is that the impedance of the two signal legs will be equal and the input will be differential. The magnitude of the two signals may not be equal. In fact, some balanced outputs have no signal on the "minus" leg.

You still get the benefit of common mode rejection, either way, because of the differential input. Balanced lines aren't used for fidelity reasons, they are used to manage possible induced noise issues.

However, if the "minus" leg carries a signal of equal magnitude, the amplitude of the (voltage) signal in the input stage will be doubled, giving rise to an increase of just over 6 dB in intensity or four fold increase in power ratio.

Cheers,

Otto
 
XLR advantages are cancellation or vast reduction of hum, lower noise. SNIP.

This is the balanced cable argument for me, the reduction in noise using balanced cables from preamp to amp is significant. It dropped the noise floor to nil in my system.

I will explain: I run a lot of power in my main system...two Yamaha PC-2002M's bridged mono, one left, one right. I think these are about 700 watts each. I feed these with my Adcom GFP 750 which has the option for XLR or RCA power amp outputs along with RCA or XLR from the CDP.

The run from the pre to amps is less than 4 feet. With RCA, ANY RCA, you name it, I have tried all the best, I can run the volume up without an input signal and hear noise...slight hum and just some very slight white noise. With the XLR's, I hear zero, zip, nothing and it's silent like the speakers are disconnected. Even with low cost DJ quality XLR's the noise reduction is still the same. I invite each of you to try this if you have an XLR capable pre and main amp. No amount of line conditioners, AC line cord swapping accomplished the same noise reduction. Really, not a reduction, it was a complete elimination. No brainer for me on the balanced pre to main connections.

Like the OP, with my source components, specifically my CDP into the pre, I could not tell a difference between XLR's and RCA's.
 
Let's keep personal comments out of this thread, please.

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I am going to say it again. If you want to hear difference between anything, you have to create the right environment for it. Don't expect to hear any difference otherwise.
 
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This is the balanced cable argument for me, the reduction in noise using balanced cables from preamp to amp is significant. It dropped the noise floor to nil in my system.

I will explain: I run a lot of power in my main system...two Yamaha PC-2002M's bridged mono, one left, one right. I think these are about 700 watts each. I feed these with my Adcom GFP 750 which has the option for XLR or RCA power amp outputs along with RCA or XLR from the CDP.

The run from the pre to amps is less than 4 feet. With RCA, ANY RCA, you name it, I have tried all the best, I can run the volume up without an input signal and hear noise...slight hum and just some very slight white noise. With the XLR's, I hear zero, zip, nothing and it's silent like the speakers are disconnected.

That probably has more to do with the impedances than the balanced vs. unbalanced lines on short runs. Balanced lines are typically between 200 and 600 ohms, while unbalanced line-level inputs are typically 10K ohms, far more susceptible to noise pickup. If you put shorting plugs across the RCA input jacks, they will probably be dead silent too, though this obviously isn't practical. ;)

If your system has the balanced connectors, use 'em!
 
I am going to say it again. If you want to hear difference between anything, you have to create the right environment for it. Don't expect to hear any difference otherwise.

I seriously do not understand your opinion and the ones you have posted previously about room reflections and airplanes. If the room is quiet what does it matter if the room is not perfect? The reflections are still the same unless you changed the room while doing the testing. You don't need a perfect room to hear differences, you need a quiet room with no distractions.
 
I seriously do not understand your opinion and the ones you have posted previously about room reflections and airplanes. If the room is quiet what does it matter if the room is not perfect? The reflections are still the same unless you changed the room while doing the testing. You don't need a perfect room to hear differences, you need a quiet room with no distractions.

Personally, I don't want to be peering around boulders to find pebbles, though I suppose it can be done, with enough effort.

Cheers,

Otto
 
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