which is a better design on this Sony SCD-XA5400, the unbalance or balanced outputs?

HiFiGuy528 · 18th June 2012, 01:39 PM

I don't know much about how to read semantics so I look for your assistance. According to this service manual, which output is a better design for better sound?

http://www.audiodesignguide.com/HiRe...ice_Manual.pdf

Mooly · 19th June 2012, 06:13 AM

Balanced has the ability to provide better noise rejection but you need a suitable balanced input to feed the signal too.

This might help explain it all,
Balanced Line Technology

tomc12388 · 19th June 2012, 08:56 AM

I have read all these arctilces:
1) Bill Whitlock [Article-1] He is pioneer of balanced interface design early 1990.
2) Douglas Self [Article-2]
3) Elliott Sound [Article-3]

But, I personally prefer to follow this [Ref:#1]. Fortunately, I have printed out all his articles because this rich man is now at vacation with website suspended.

Ken Newton · 19th June 2012, 02:06 PM

The only way to judge is by listening to both with your own ears, assuming that your preamp has both XLR and RCA inputs.

stephensank · 19th June 2012, 05:43 PM

There have been a number of Sony bal out players, the X707ES being a glaring example, where the bal & unbal outs were fed by completely different filter tyoes and/or amp topologies, but the XA5400 is not particularly one of them. The bal keeps the differential outs of the dac chip separate right to the out jack, with a +phase LPF stage and a -phase LPF stage. The unbal takes the + & - phase outs of the diff i/v converters into a single opamp LPF, which also acts as a diff to single ended converter. So, you *might* get better cancellation of HF noise from bal outs, but otherwise no functional difference. It will be mostly, I would say, a matter of how good your cables are for bal vs unbal, and how well your preamp handles bal vs unbal. Unless your preamp is high grade transformer input on balanced, in might sound terrible, relatively speaking, vs using it's unbal input. Or not. As the another poster said, use your ears.

19th June 2012, 06:13 AM	#2
Mooly diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007	Balanced has the ability to provide better noise rejection but you need a suitable balanced input to feed the signal too. This might help explain it all, Balanced Line Technology __________________ ------------------------------------------------------- *A simulation free zone.* *Design it, build it, test it.*

19th June 2012, 02:06 PM	#4
Ken Newton diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Eastern Pennsylvania	The only way to judge is by listening to both with your own ears, assuming that your preamp has both XLR and RCA inputs. __________________ Ken

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18th June 2012, 01:39 PM	#1
HiFiGuy528 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2012	which is a better design on this Sony SCD-XA5400, the unbalance or balanced outputs? I don't know much about how to read semantics so I look for your assistance. According to this service manual, which output is a better design for better sound? http://www.audiodesignguide.com/HiRe...ice_Manual.pdf __________________ Humans make Music, Music makes Miracles.

19th June 2012, 08:56 AM	#3
tomc12388 diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Eastern	I have read all these arctilces: 1) Bill Whitlock [Article-1] He is pioneer of balanced interface design early 1990. 2) Douglas Self [Article-2] 3) Elliott Sound [Article-3] But, I personally prefer to follow this [Ref:#1]. Fortunately, I have printed out all his articles because this rich man is now at vacation with website suspended.

19th June 2012, 05:43 PM	#5
stephensank diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	There have been a number of Sony bal out players, the X707ES being a glaring example, where the bal & unbal outs were fed by completely different filter tyoes and/or amp topologies, but the XA5400 is not particularly one of them. The bal keeps the differential outs of the dac chip separate right to the out jack, with a +phase LPF stage and a -phase LPF stage. The unbal takes the + & - phase outs of the diff i/v converters into a single opamp LPF, which also acts as a diff to single ended converter. So, you might get better cancellation of HF noise from bal outs, but otherwise no functional difference. It will be mostly, I would say, a matter of how good your cables are for bal vs unbal, and how well your preamp handles bal vs unbal. Unless your preamp is high grade transformer input on balanced, in might sound terrible, relatively speaking, vs using it's unbal input. Or not. As the another poster said, use your ears.