Hello, I plann to make my own cable to connect my DAC to preamp and I want to use the Allen Wright 3 cables twisted braided design. DAC output is XLR while preamp is RCA. The XLR pin 2 is the signal going to RCA hot pin. No doubt here. Now, shall I connect only the Pin 1 to RCA ground end and leave the Pin 3 cable lifted? Or better I take the twisted cables from pin 1+3 and connect them both to RCA ground?
Thanxs
Thanxs
Last time I had to do something like that I used Google. It was very helpful, but I forget what it said.
What I can say is that mixing balanced and unbalanced can be difficult, so cable brand may be the least of your problems.
What I can say is that mixing balanced and unbalanced can be difficult, so cable brand may be the least of your problems.
Actually I am using a XLR to RCA adapter which is possibly worse than having a direct cable. The opinion seems to be around two options:
a) Ground to RCA collar, signal to hot rca pin, reverse signal to RCA collar
b) ground to RCA collar, signal to hot rca pin, reverse signal lifted (not connected to rca)
I am looking what is best for my case considering I will have a Litz braided design...
a) Ground to RCA collar, signal to hot rca pin, reverse signal to RCA collar
b) ground to RCA collar, signal to hot rca pin, reverse signal lifted (not connected to rca)
I am looking what is best for my case considering I will have a Litz braided design...
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Your DAC should be able to tolerate zero load on its output in the latter case.
Method 1 is usually preferred to avoid any issues with the above.
If you have a transformer on the DAC output, you can use pin 2 and pin 3 with no need to connect pin 1 anywhere.
Edit, this was in reference to your first post. In the new one I see no difference between the two methods except for the order of the words.
Method 1 is usually preferred to avoid any issues with the above.
If you have a transformer on the DAC output, you can use pin 2 and pin 3 with no need to connect pin 1 anywhere.
Edit, this was in reference to your first post. In the new one I see no difference between the two methods except for the order of the words.
Does your DAC have a genuine balanced output or just a bi-phase?
Personally I would avoid braiding (and Litz is unnecessary below about 100kHz). Unbalanced signals are best with coax. Balanced signals are best with twisted pair.
Personally I would avoid braiding (and Litz is unnecessary below about 100kHz). Unbalanced signals are best with coax. Balanced signals are best with twisted pair.
DF96, I think it should be a genuine balanced as it is a professional dac (Mytek). The braiding is taken from Allen Wright design, and I can tell you his cable are really top notch(see his cable cook book) In my opinion of course
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Use the two signal wires to connect the signal from Source to Receiver. Signal is a two wire connection.
Use the Pin1 to connect the screen to Chassis at the XLR end.
Twisted pair is more resistant to picking up interference.
Don't braid !!!!
Use the Pin1 to connect the screen to Chassis at the XLR end.
Twisted pair is more resistant to picking up interference.
Don't braid !!!!
Mytek are quite good converters.
from Stereo 96 DAC manual:
Depending of situation you sometimes needs to short to ground unused (negative side of symmetrical connectors), sometimes you have to leave them open circuit whan going balanced to unbalanced. It depends from circuit topology and next stage in signal path: some receiver won't work correctly without one of their ends being unconnected, same is true for some linedrivers...
As you're doing you don't need a symmetrical cable to link between your converters and amp (given you are in a clean EMF/RFI spot and don't go insane about cable length).
If you absolutly want a symmetrical cable you'll have to use a buffer which is going to do the unbalancing just before your amp (something like a transformer or if it's against your religion something like opamp in differential input ('The wire' is a great example)or even simpler a That 1240 series).
from Stereo 96 DAC manual:
Depending of situation you sometimes needs to short to ground unused (negative side of symmetrical connectors), sometimes you have to leave them open circuit whan going balanced to unbalanced. It depends from circuit topology and next stage in signal path: some receiver won't work correctly without one of their ends being unconnected, same is true for some linedrivers...
As you're doing you don't need a symmetrical cable to link between your converters and amp (given you are in a clean EMF/RFI spot and don't go insane about cable length).
If you absolutly want a symmetrical cable you'll have to use a buffer which is going to do the unbalancing just before your amp (something like a transformer or if it's against your religion something like opamp in differential input ('The wire' is a great example)or even simpler a That 1240 series).
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I think that means it is biphase output, not true balanced. For a balanced output you could ground pin 3.
Knowing Mytek quality i'll be surprised if they were not true balanced.
Maybe you're right DF96.
I actually think this is much of a professionnal feature as they can be connected to many things in professionnal studio environnement and designers for this field usually take that point SERIOUSLY into account.
Maybe you're right DF96.
I actually think this is much of a professionnal feature as they can be connected to many things in professionnal studio environnement and designers for this field usually take that point SERIOUSLY into account.
Maybe because of curiosity and because the one mentionned is interesting (Allen Wrights).
ad010685, you 'll have to choose an other one in the multiple design Allen gives. 🙂
Google has led me to some enthusiastic reviews of that book. As a result of what they say, I believe my inclination to leave it alone has been strengthened. That is the value of a good review: it tells you enough about the book that you can decide whether it is worth reading or not whether or not you agree with the reviewer.
I must admit i was sceptic a bout the cook book (more than a real 'book' on the subject), but the 'philosophy' behind it is not 'black art' vaudoo driven knowledge... You don't have to sacrifice virgin by full moon to have the recipes to work... if you see what i mean. 🙂
And more than less it is 'scientific facts related'. I'm not saying that Allen Wrights give definite answer but some of the recipes given are surprising quality wise relative to cost.
In the end i stand with Mogami and Gotham starquads cables... but i've done some test and some results are... strange! 🙂
Cat5 can give some goods results... 😉
And more than less it is 'scientific facts related'. I'm not saying that Allen Wrights give definite answer but some of the recipes given are surprising quality wise relative to cost.
In the end i stand with Mogami and Gotham starquads cables... but i've done some test and some results are... strange! 🙂
Cat5 can give some goods results... 😉
Is it? Skin effect relevant at audio frequencies? Solid core silver? He must have studied electromagnetism at a different university from me.krivium said:
IOW, an opamp at the output with one half driving the hot and the other driving the cold end. Therefore the recommendation to not short circuit the cold end.
The manufacturer will specify this as a true balanced output in any case, because it really is. The only caveat is to not short either output - it basically creates gross distortion in the hot output (does not damage the opamp though, there is current limiting circuitry to take care of that).
This is the configuration in pretty much every piece of pro equipment except the really expensive ones which still use actual transformers.
I won't start a war or dismiss your thoughs DF96 but without reading a copy of the book your judgement seems partial to me. Anyway this is off topic. 🙂
Well this is not always true. Some high end equipment are single ended without transformer coupling (Sontec eq for example), other are fully differential (GML eq to stand with nearly exact same topology except Massenburg's is differential), etc,etc...
Sound engineer tends to like transformers it's true. One of the mantra is 'sound is in the iron' mainly because driven a bit some of them are 'euphonic'. But they're not 'evil' some talk about in some place: try a Jensen, Lundhal, Sowter or Cinemag for example and tell if you can ear they're in signal path. They're expensive items you're right. But serious designer still use them as you stated:i've never seen a Rupert Neve's shematic without one for example input or ouput.
I don't intend diverting this thread off topic any more. Just to make the general point that there is only a limited time to read books so I prefer those which will make me think (even if I disagree with the author) rather than those which don't require much thought. As I said, a good review tells us enough to make a decision without reading the book.krivium said:
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