Cal Audio Labs CL-15


Can the Cal CL-15 player be rigged having both the balanced and RCA outputs hooked up simultaneously? Which is to say, have both XLR ICs and RCA ICs hooked up via its two sets of outputs (though of course only running one set at any given time)? My model has both outputs.

There was nothing covering this in the manual.

Here's why:

I've found two sets of interconnects I like tremendously--both RCA. The Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval is wonderful for choral music--sweet, radiant.. But it's too relaxed and ends up sounding dull on symphonic music. The Atlas Titans, on the other hand, are fabulous for orchestral music--fast, detailed, dynamic, exciting. But they are badly edgy on choral music and somewhat so on opera. They do strings, timpani, brass, and woodwinds great. Though I've heard that Audioquest Anaconda and Audience Au24 might be good middle-ground ICs, I haven't auditioned them and pretty much have given up on finding a single pair of ICs that will give me excellent performance on these two different kinds of listening. Therefore, I've come up with the notion of running two different sets of ICs from the same source.

If I could run both of them out of the Cal player (I can get the AP ICs specially terminated with XLR connectors on one end, RCA on the other; or I can run it with a set of Cardas XLR adapters on one end) to my PrimaLuna amp, I'd have both interconnect options available to me in one player.

But the fundamental question remains--will I fry the Cal player if I do this double-hookup? I'd like to hear from others with more experience before I try it and risk damaging my wonderful old player.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xbblilikoi
Going back over this problem, I've made many changes. ICs which may have sounded great in combination with the system I started with, don't perform the same as the system has evolved--a familiar process not news to anyone, I'm sure. But the radiance of the Analysis Plus ICs diminishes somewhat with the new system:

Cary SLI-80 integrated amp;
Audio Refinement Complete CDP;
Sonus Faber Grand Piano speakers;
Audience Au24 speaker cables;
Audience Au24 ICs;
PS Audio Plus PC (amp);
Shunyata Diamondback PC (CDP).

I found switching to Audience cables created more openness with this system and the radiance I'd formerly heard with the AP cabling diminished with the different equipment. Finally, my instinct is the Atlas Titan RCAs, certainly a premium interconnect, are worthy of re-auditioning, as they scored very high in dynamics, detail, and speed in the prior system, creating a very bold sound with the complex and rich textures of orchestral symphonic music, Ellington's lush harmonies, and the swaggering saxophones of 60s jazz. I'm excited to try them again as the system has evolved.
Bblilikoi...
Did you get a chance to re-audition the Atlas Titans? How do they compare to the Audience Au24's? I'm currently using Audience Au24 IC's and speaker cables (single run with Audience Au24 jumpers) and like them very much. I was just curious how they compared to the Atlas IC's.

calgarian5355
I haven't had a chance to re-audition the Titans as I've completely changed the system(s):

Cary SLI-80 integrated amp;
Cary 303/300 CDP;
Audience Maestro ICs;
Audience Maestro speaker cables;
Sonus Faber Concertino speakers with stands.

I'm at present working on settling in a new reference system with all tubed equipment. I plan to buy Audioquest Cheetah ICs for this system and stay with Audience Au24 speaker cables for the time being.