"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...

A thread on another group suggested that these are the norm today. Not
being one who avidly reads the Hi-Fi press, is this so? The poster was
adamant it was the *only* way to feed 5.1 speakers etc that have internal
amps, as unbalanced would cause hum etc. This was from the US, though.

Can't say I've noticed balanced connections on domestic equipment. Are 5.1
speakers normally powered?, the only area where powered speakers seem to be
the norm are as computer speakers, and they never, IME, use balanced
interconnects.

David.

In article ,
David Looser wrote:
A thread on another group suggested that these are the norm today. Not
being one who avidly reads the Hi-Fi press, is this so? The poster was
adamant it was the *only* way to feed 5.1 speakers etc that have
internal amps, as unbalanced would cause hum etc. This was from the
US, though.

Can't say I've noticed balanced connections on domestic equipment. Are
5.1 speakers normally powered?, the only area where powered speakers
seem to be the norm are as computer speakers, and they never, IME, use
balanced interconnects.

This poster was talking about an AV preamp where all the power amps are
external. Nothing wrong with balanced of course - it's the pro standard -
but a bit OTT for domestic use.
The thread was about earth loops and he is convinced balanced is the only
way round. Could be in the US all metal cased equipment has to have a
mains safety ground - nothing about their electrics would surprise me. ;-)

I've got an elderly AV amp - and if you replaced all the phonos with XLRs
it would fill the room. ;-)

--
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Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"

This poster was talking about an AV preamp where all the power amps are
external. Nothing wrong with balanced of course - it's the pro standard -
but a bit OTT for domestic use.
The thread was about earth loops and he is convinced balanced is the only
way round. Could be in the US all metal cased equipment has to have a
mains safety ground - nothing about their electrics would surprise me. ;-)


**The USA is just like everywhere else - i8e flooded with Asian made audio
gear that is Class 2 or Double Insulated.

So no main earth conductor in the AC cord.

As usual - your anonymous Septic poster is an utter ****wit.



....... Phil

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)"

This poster was talking about an AV preamp where all the power amps
are external. Nothing wrong with balanced of course - it's the pro
standard - but a bit OTT for domestic use. The thread was about earth
loops and he is convinced balanced is the only way round. Could be in
the US all metal cased equipment has to have a mains safety ground -
nothing about their electrics would surprise me. ;-)


**The USA is just like everywhere else - i8e flooded with Asian made
audio gear that is Class 2 or Double Insulated.

That's what I'd guessed. Can't see why they'd make things worse for the US.

So no main earth conductor in the AC cord.

Yup.

As usual - your anonymous Septic poster is an utter ****wit.

I'm beginning to think so. But what the hell - at least it's about audio.
;-)



...... Phil

--
*It was all so different before everything changed.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
David Looser wrote:
A thread on another group suggested that these are the norm today. Not
being one who avidly reads the Hi-Fi press, is this so? The poster was
adamant it was the *only* way to feed 5.1 speakers etc that have
internal amps, as unbalanced would cause hum etc. This was from the
US, though.

Can't say I've noticed balanced connections on domestic equipment. Are
5.1 speakers normally powered?, the only area where powered speakers
seem to be the norm are as computer speakers, and they never, IME, use
balanced interconnects.

This poster was talking about an AV preamp where all the power amps are
external. Nothing wrong with balanced of course - it's the pro standard -
but a bit OTT for domestic use.

I was looking at a Denon AV pre-amp a while back that had balanced outputs
to connect to external power amps. It was intended for the commercial
sector, but there's no reason why it couldn't be used domestically by those
with the space and the budget.

The thread was about earth loops and he is convinced balanced is the only
way round. Could be in the US all metal cased equipment has to have a
mains safety ground - nothing about their electrics would surprise me. ;-)

It's not necessary to go to full balanced to get over earth loop problems,
differential inputs connected to unbalanced outputs achieves the same thing.

I've got an elderly AV amp - and if you replaced all the phonos with XLRs
it would fill the room. ;-)

Indeed.

David.

David Looser wrote:

It's not necessary to go to full balanced to get over earth loop problems,
differential inputs connected to unbalanced outputs achieves the same thing.

An unbalanced output with equal value resistors in the hot and cold signal lines
( the cold going to equipment ground ) and a seperate screen IS balanced.
Normally just called 'impedance balanced' it provides almost all the advantages
of full-blown active balanced outputs. With a few more resistors it can even
'ground sense' and overcome hum caused by non-equipotential equipment grounds.

A differential ( balanced ) input takes a couple more resistors to make than an
unbalanced one.

PLUS the XLR is an excellent connector compared to the RCA.

Graham


--
due to the hugely increased level of spam please make the obvious adjustment to
my email address

In article ,
Eeyore wrote:
PLUS the XLR is an excellent connector compared to the RCA.

I must be unique in not having problems with decent phonos. Apart from on
a Revox which got use a lot elsewhere so was constantly being unplugged.
But then the mains connector on that had to be replaced too. ;-)
They're really for semi permanent installation whereas an XLR is designed
for pro use on things which will be often unplugged.

But the main problem domestically is size - like to guess how many phonos
my AV amp has? ;-)

--
*I was once a millionaire but my mom gave away my baseball cards

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
wrote:
In article , Eeyore
wrote:
PLUS the XLR is an excellent connector compared to the RCA.

I must be unique in not having problems with decent phonos.

I also rarely have problems with them. However I do buy and fit decent
ones, and avoid unplugging/plugging then when the system is on and this
might cause alarmingly loud transients. :-)

That said, I've also not really had problems with DIN plugs/sockets,
either. Although these days my eyesight probably isn't up to soldering
leads onto them any more!

Slainte,

Jim

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Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

In article ,
Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
wrote:
In article , Eeyore
wrote:
PLUS the XLR is an excellent connector compared to the RCA.

I must be unique in not having problems with decent phonos.

I also rarely have problems with them. However I do buy and fit decent
ones, and avoid unplugging/plugging then when the system is on and this
might cause alarmingly loud transients. :-)

Not many will unplug things often - why would you?

That said, I've also not really had problems with DIN plugs/sockets,
either. Although these days my eyesight probably isn't up to soldering
leads onto them any more!

I did. I had a Quad 3 setup in a rented flat many years ago - with no
central heating. So the humidity level was rather greater than is common
these days. And had problems with the DIN connectors corroding. Spawn of
Satan to me. ;-)

I have a pair of +5 'ready reads' these days for soldering. And a very
bright light. ;-)

--
*You! Off my planet!

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Jim Lesurf wrote:

That said, I've also not really had problems with DIN plugs/sockets,
either. Although these days my eyesight probably isn't up to soldering
leads onto them any more!


I'm at the tail end of a project that involved fitting and soldering more
than 300 5-way 240 degree DIN sockets plus some 30 cables terminated with
DIN plugs at each end. Right now my eyesight isn't feeling too good either !