Phono MC/MM who is running balanced?

Bksabath · 11th November 2010, 04:28 PM

Just to thave an Idea who is running balanced cartridges.

I mean the tone arm revired to run the cartridge in to a balanced input MC/MM phono stage.

Al

rjm · 23rd November 2010, 03:12 PM

The wiring is the same whether to balanced or unbalanced, it's just the connectors that change.

A balanced phono stage has, all things being equal, a 3 dB higher noise floor.. for the simple reason that the input signal seen by the + and - inputs with respect to ground is only half the the full voltage, while an unbalanced input sees the full voltage. (each input has 6dB more noise (or 6dB less signal for the same gain, if you prefer), but some of that noise cancels at the output together with the common mode noise, end result +3 dB)

Where low input noise is the primary concern (and for a phono stage, it should be) unbalanced is the preferred circuit topology.

jacco vermeulen · 23rd November 2010, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bksabath

Just to thave an Idea who is running balanced cartridges.

Yo.

The motive is to run the whole enchilada balanced:

re-

re,

reamp,

ower amp. Is what i do, my

rime TT has

re-installed balanced outputs, yet to see a 2d standard-issue model.
Not unusual if one lives in the balanced zone.

PMA · 23rd November 2010, 04:19 PM

I sold a balanced MC phono preamp design for commercial purposes this year.

Joachim Gerhard · 23rd November 2010, 04:29 PM

I published a balanced Phonostage in Jan Diddens Linear Audio Volume 0.
Yes, the wires are the same but you need other connectors. Non of the wires from the cartridge should be connected to ground, only the shield.

SY · 23rd November 2010, 04:53 PM

Me. I use four pin DIN plugs.

SY · 23rd November 2010, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjm

A balanced phono stage has, all things being equal, a 3 dB higher noise floor..

The trick is to make all things NOT be equal!

Allen Wright · 23rd November 2010, 05:04 PM

It's not even important to use different connectors, the standard RCA plug & socket works just fine as long as it's not earthed anywhere - if the electronics are fully balanced.

Our fully balanced RTP3D preamp has three phono inputs:

1. balanced XLR

2. balanced REDEL/Lemo, our house preference - simply the best sounding audio connector we have found

3/ a floating RCA socket which makes a perfect interface with 99% of good MC cart RCA equipped tone arms And even if the cable is a shielded unbalanced cable, as long as it's not grounded, I've never had any hum or other problems.

Regards, Allen

PMA · 23rd November 2010, 05:10 PM

In case you want to make a serious design, you have to assign the balanced preamp ground.

Irakli · 23rd November 2010, 05:26 PM

I do. My whole system is balanced and I rewired my Thorens turntable.

11th November 2010, 04:28 PM	#1
Bksabath diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2007	Phono MC/MM who is running balanced? Just to thave an Idea who is running balanced cartridges. I mean the tone arm revired to run the cartridge in to a balanced input MC/MM phono stage. Al

23rd November 2010, 03:12 PM	#2
rjm Richard Murdey diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Kyoto Blog Entries: 72	The wiring is the same whether to balanced or unbalanced, it's just the connectors that change. A balanced phono stage has, all things being equal, a 3 dB higher noise floor.. for the simple reason that the input signal seen by the + and - inputs with respect to ground is only half the the full voltage, while an unbalanced input sees the full voltage. (each input has 6dB more noise (or 6dB less signal for the same gain, if you prefer), but some of that noise cancels at the output together with the common mode noise, end result +3 dB) Where low input noise is the primary concern (and for a phono stage, it should be) unbalanced is the preferred circuit topology. __________________ RJM Audio (phonoclone.com / G+)

23rd November 2010, 04:19 PM	#4
PMA diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Prague, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka	I sold a balanced MC phono preamp design for commercial purposes this year. __________________ Pavel Macura http://www.linkedin.com/pub/pavel-macura/4/783/637 http://web.telecom.cz/macura/audiopage.html

23rd November 2010, 04:53 PM	#6
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chicagoland Blog Entries: 1	Me. I use four pin DIN plugs. __________________ If there's a sucker born every minute, where do the rest of them come from?

23rd November 2010, 05:10 PM	#9
PMA diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Prague, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka	In case you want to make a serious design, you have to assign the balanced preamp ground. __________________ Pavel Macura http://www.linkedin.com/pub/pavel-macura/4/783/637 http://web.telecom.cz/macura/audiopage.html


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23rd November 2010, 04:29 PM	#5
Joachim Gerhard diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2009	I published a balanced Phonostage in Jan Diddens Linear Audio Volume 0. Yes, the wires are the same but you need other connectors. Non of the wires from the cartridge should be connected to ground, only the shield.

23rd November 2010, 05:04 PM	#8
Allen Wright R.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Schaffhausen Switzerland	It's not even important to use different connectors, the standard RCA plug & socket works just fine as long as it's not earthed anywhere - if the electronics are fully balanced. Our fully balanced RTP3D preamp has three phono inputs: 1. balanced XLR 2. balanced REDEL/Lemo, our house preference - simply the best sounding audio connector we have found 3/ a floating RCA socket which makes a perfect interface with 99% of good MC cart RCA equipped tone arms And even if the cable is a shielded unbalanced cable, as long as it's not grounded, I've never had any hum or other problems. Regards, Allen

23rd November 2010, 05:26 PM	#10
Irakli diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: washington, DC Blog Entries: 1	I do. My whole system is balanced and I rewired my Thorens turntable. __________________ My System

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