Balanced cable and RCA connector: how to wire them?

[Bricolo]

Hi all,


I've foune a nice audio cable, but it's intended for balanced connections (2 wires and a shield). All my audio rig uses RCA connections.

What would be the proper way to connect the cable to the RCA?
-both wires at the signal, and the shield as ground
-one wire as signal, the shield and the other wire to the ground?


Thanks
Alex

 

[electroaudio]

The best way to connect it is by connecting the sheild to ground on only one side (The recieving end is theoretically the best) and then connect the signal and ground thru the inner two cables.

 

[Bricolo]

That's also a question I wanted to ask: this technique has also been adviced in some application note (don't remember wich one).

But, can't this long (1 or 2m) shield connected at only one end act like an antenna?

 

[Thunau]

See Rane reference at the link
http://rane.com/note110.html

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

 

[pooge]

The best way to connect it is by connecting the sheild to ground on only one side (The recieving end is theoretically the best) and then connect the signal and ground thru the inner two cables.

Grounding the receiving end is not "theoretically the best". There are advantages and disadvantages to each way. Experts in the field usually recommend grounding the shield at the source end.
In any event, you should mark the cable to know which end has the shield grounded. See the attached link for the reasons for grounding the source end.
Whitlock paper on grounding

 

[electroaudio]

But, can't this long (1 or 2m) shield connected at only one end act like an antenna?

They say so. thats why it should be connected at the recieving end and not at the senders end.
But you can probably shortcurcuit the "antenna" with a small capacitor at the senders end.

more about grounding and antennas here..
http://www.prosoundweb.com/studyhall/rane/grounding/ground.php

 

[electroaudio]

Grounding the receiving end is not "theoretically the best".

Read his signature, thats why i choosed that phrase.

Just remember: in theory there's no difference between theory and practice.
But in practice it usually is quite a bit difference...

 

[pooge]

But you can probably shortcurcuit the "antenna" with a small capacitor at the senders end.

Yes. You can use a capacitor at the receiving end to eliminate the possible disadvantage of the antenna problem, while maintaining the advantage of having the shield connected to ground at the source end, which connecting at the receiving end only doesn't provide.

 

[Moondog55]

Which is the best end to "Couple" at? I thought that joining at the RCA end was preferred ?

 

[tinitus]

Which is the best end to "Couple" at? I thought that joining at the RCA end was preferred ?

I think he has RCA both ends

with balanced cable, and shield connected only at one end, this is commonly called pseudo-balanced

which end to connect shield, sender or receiver, might depend how electronics are wired internally
and whatever sounds best

but I have usually preferred to connect all shielded ends to preamp, maybe acting a bit like 'star ground shield'

 

[Moondog55]

I'm asking for my benefit.
I have a Behringer XO and need to solder up some new patch cords for my amplifiers which are RCA inputs
New Pre-amp has balanced outputs

 

[tinitus]

pos.6 i the Rane sheet (post#4) ?


ahh, I see now you have found a very old thread good one

 

[tinitus]

Which is the best end to "Couple" at? I thought that joining at the RCA end was preferred ?

ahh, I see now what you may be asking

since you have a true balanced signal, it would be possible to keep the cable fully balanced all the way to RCA, and join negative and ground there

I suppose that is what you are suggesting ?

(and for some reason that is not shown anywhere in the Rane sheet)

 

[Moondog55]

Thanx Tinitus
Also I didn't know when I asked that the thread was this old
I have some good quality Amphenol female RCA which I can use with my existing quality cables so I'll use those as an adapter rather than make totally new patch cords

 

[tinitus]

adaptor plug sounds ok

reminds me ...

lately I have noticed the new Neutrik signal trafos

wonder if anyone have tried them yet ?

 

[AndrewT]

...........All my audio rig uses RCA connections...............

Then you can't use Balanced impedance interconnects.

When one end is Balanced impedance, use the Rane instructions in post4.

 

[tinitus]

Andrew, you are responding to a post from year 2004

I'm sure his 'audio rig' have changed a bit since then

 

[AndrewT]

Which is the best end to "Couple" at? I thought that joining at the RCA end was preferred ?

This is the recent request.

I responded to that.
One of my responses is the same as you posted.

 

[BvOsch]

I have 4 conductor + ground wire microphone wiring in my house and still not sure what the best way to connect my subwoofer would be over approx 10 meter length. There is an RCA at both ends (single output at receiver, and double RCA input low-high at the sub). Any advice on this will be much appreciated. My microphone cables are separated pretty well from power and light cables with limited to none parallel runs.

 

[PRR]

Have you tried just plugging it in? (With adaptors and splitters as needed.)

If it works, hum-free, job is done. Sometimes it is that simple. I have run line-level over a hundred feet of cheap discarded speaker wire.