Switched from RCA to XLR Interconnects - WOW

Thanks for the mention, Spencer (SBank1).

Yes, there will often be 6 db more volume for a given volume control setting when balanced interconnections are used, compared to unbalanced interconnections. That isn’t always the case, though, and it depends on the specific designs of the components that are being connected.

The reason relates to the fact that a properly designed balanced receiver circuit will respond to the instantaneous voltage difference between the two signals in the balanced signal pair, which is twice as much as the voltage of each of those signals. And the signal voltage of an unbalanced interface is often the same as the voltage of each of the signals in a balanced pair of signals between the same components. And in some cases the unbalanced signal may actually be the same signal as one of the two signals in the balanced signal pair.

More generally, regarding the differences that were heard keep in mind that you’ve not only changed the cable from unbalanced to balanced, and changed the make and model of the cable, but in doing so you’ve also changed the configuration of the output circuit that is being used in the phono stage, and the configuration of the input circuit that is being used in the integrated amp. Which is one reason that cable differences tend to be system dependent.

And yes, I agree with Spencer’s mention of the potential benefits of a well designed balanced interface. I would add to his list that a well designed balanced interface will have less susceptibility to ground loop issues than an unbalanced interface.

Regards,
-- Al

Does this mean that its output is not a true balanced design?

No. I took a look at the manual and the specs for your DSPeaker, and the fact that the maximum output voltages are specified as being approximately twice as great for the XLR outputs as for the RCA outputs strongly suggests that the XLR outputs are being provided with a balanced pair of signals.

Given that, and also that you are driving a Pass amp and using a particularly long cable, I would definitely suggest trying a balanced Canare cable, or alternatively a Mogami Gold Studio cable. There is a possibility that the results would not be preferable, depending mainly on the sonic quality of the DSPeaker’s XLR outputs compared to its RCA outputs, but chances are good that there will be an improvement.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

Switching from RCA to XLR is only worththe extra time and money is if, you have a True differential balanced from input to output for each channel .

While a lot of audiophiles believe what Audioman58 has stated above, I would respectfully but emphatically disagree. The benefits that a balanced interface can potentially provide, that have been referred to in this thread (i.e., reduced sensitivity to cable differences, better performance when long cable runs are necessary, reduced susceptibility to ground loop issues, lower noise, higher overall system gain), have no relation to whether or not the components have fully balanced or fully differential internal signal paths. They just require that:

1) The output circuit of the component providing the signal provides a balanced pair of signals.

2)The input circuit of the component receiving the signals receives those signals differentially, meaning that it responds to the difference in voltage between the two signals in the balanced pair.

3)The two circuits are **well designed.** As Ralph (Atmasphere) has stated in past threads, in addition to those circuits providing good sonics, ideally that means that the output impedance of the component providing the signals is low, and that the ground connection is ignored by the interface circuits of both components. And I would add that it also means that the shield of the balanced interconnect cable, that is connected to pin 1 of the XLR connectors, should be connected within each component to chassis and not to the component’s circuit ground. See the following writeup for further discussion of that:

https://www.rane.com/note151.html

If all of these criteria are not met, a balanced interface may still work better than an unbalanced interface, or it may not, depending on the specific designs. But again, that has nothing to do with whether or not the components have fully balanced or fully differential internal signal paths.

Regards,
-- Al