What XLR cables are you useing???

[DaveM]

Sy, you bring up the point that I believe I am going to work towards. Eliminate as many cables as possible. Build my phono preamp into the turntable so there is no interconnect needed for the low level signal. Integrate my DAC into the preamp to eliminate another interconnect. There are certianly noise issues to be overcome with this approach, but with the cost of good connectors and even building an interconnect there is a huge savings to simply integrate things. My thought lately, should I be crazy enough to attempt to put my Shingaclone into the preamp chassis as well? I don't think I will as the noise issues may become a real hassle at that point. Also I would lose flexibility. I mean DIY'ers never want to change what they have built

 

[Pan]

A balanced cable has at least 2 signal carrying wires (star quad has 4) carrying a differential signal and the ground / shield. It allows for much longer runs, less interference pickup and the ability to break earth loops as you can disconnect the shield (earth) at one end of the cable.

It does matter how the cable is constructed as only interference / distortion that appears identically on both signal carrying wires ends up being cancelled.

Actually in a impedance balanced cable/interface the signal is carried by one center conductor and the shield whereas the second center conductor serves to cancel common mode signals only.


/Peter

 

[Pan]

Mogami, Belden or Canare quad core and Neutrik connectors. Solder is less relevant than the quality of joint and I've been using Multicore brand for years. Heatshrink is anything I can get that works, and I don't bother with techflex as it's just aesthetics. I'd rather not see a cable.

Neutrik here as well and you might want to add Gotham cables as well since they have some very well made cables with low capacitance.


/Peter

 

[Pan]

A few posts back, I asked the question as to whether using the centre core of a coax cable for the shield/ground was acceptable.

There has been no answer.

What makes a cable balanced?

Is it purely that there is some shielding that is grounded, or is it just any built in grounding that can be earthed?

How could you possibly make a solid core conductor a shield?

A cable can be called balanced if the impedances to ground is balanced = identical. This is what gives good CMRR numbers. The cable does not have to be driven differential/symetrical for this to happen.

Electronically balanced usually refer to a differential drive iow. balanced both regarding impedances as well as the actual drive of the cable.


/Peter

 

[Brett]

Neutrik here as well and you might want to add Gotham cables as well since they have some very well made cables with low capacitance.


/Peter

Yes I have used them in the past to wire an OB van. Nice stuff, but I haven't seen any locally for a while.