Wiring XLRs for balanced question

E

earl of sodbury

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I have a set of male-male silver XLRs previously used for power-supply purposes which I wish to convert signal cables between a balanced source and balanced amp.

These are wired pin1 to pin1, pin2 to pin2, and pin 3 to pin 3.

For the change of use I need to replace 1 male connector with 1 female connector.

For signal transmission, are the connections still the same?

It might seem obvious, but the interweb is as usual unhelpful, and I don't want my listening pleasure interrupted by sparks and puffs of blue smoke...
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churz, eofs

 

meninblack

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Pin 1 is generally the ground (=earth) connection. Pins 2 and 3 are the "hot" (=centre pin of an RCA) and "cold" (=outer sleeve of an RCA, =signal ground) signal phases.

Some kit has 2 and 3 reversed (there's no proper standard) which led to a big barney on here about whether having these swapped over (inverted phase) would be audible or not...

I'd wire straight through unless there is anything in the manuals of your kit to suggest otherwise.

 
E

earl of sodbury

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Thanks MiB - not having the manuals is part of the "problem"... :Not Sure:

churz, eofs

 
E

Effem

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The correct termination Earlis 1 to 1, 2 to 2 and 3 to 3 (The XLR connectors should have the pin numbers moulded into them)

I have seen these in all sorts of configurations in specialist power supplies but for audio use it's Pin 1 = GND, Pin 2 = "+phase" or hot, Pin 3 = "- phase" or cold.

 

kennyk

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you could take a quick trip to maplin and buy a couple of cheap microphone leads. these would do the job, but as others have said

1 - GND

2 - Hot

3 - Cold

 

meninblack

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Effem wrote:

The correct termination Earlis 1 to 1, 2 to 2 and 3 to 3 (The XLR connectors should have the pin numbers moulded into them)I have seen these in all sorts of configurations in specialist power supplies but for audio use it's Pin 1 = GND, Pin 2 = "+phase" or hot, Pin 3 = "- phase" or cold.
Some Victor CDP's are marked up as 1=GND, 2=Cold, 3=Hot.
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Hence the discussion of absolute phase.

I think some other older Jap stuff is the same.

 
E

earl of sodbury

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Thanks chaps, let's hope the French and the Koreans will talk to one-another
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hifinut

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Iv made several balanced wires for me and a mate always wired the to the corresponding number 1-1 etc and they all work fine tookmy Mithril'stoDuvet's bake off and they worked ok there too.

Ah your using the same make as my dac/pre Stello I take it?

Happy soldering:D

 
E

earl of sodbury

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Have emailed both manufacturers now - which is of course what I should have done in the first place
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Really should go to bed earlier - but up till3 againlast night listening...
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churz, eofs

 

hifinut

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earl of sodbury wrote:

Have emailed both manufacturers now - which is of course what I should have done in the first place
f_doh.gif.2bfa1ec008d0c8800eee305d3a30be23.gif
Really should go to bed earlier - but up till3 againlast night listening...
stereo.gif.78ed128503393f1c4bf77692f274c985.gif


churz, eofs
Too much of this
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:Bouncey:leads to this:zzzz::zzzz:like a kid in a toy shop I know what it's like listen to my collection many times when good kit or tweaks done just to hear more details or better soundstage etc:Coool:

 

Puffin

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I think you need to make sure that you use 110 Ohm cable if you want a good balanced signal (i.e not75 or 50 Ohm) I stand to be corrected.

 

Ant

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Puffin wrote:

I think you need to make sure that you use 110 Ohm cable if you want a good balanced signal (i.e not75 or 50 Ohm) I stand to be corrected.
Thats the standard for digital.
 

hifinut

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Ant wrote:

Puffin wrote:
I think you need to make sure that you use 110 Ohm cable if you want a good balanced signal (i.e not75 or 50 Ohm) I stand to be corrected.
Thats the standard for digital.
Earl wrote:

I have a set of male-male silver XLRs previously used for power-supply purposes which I wish to convert signal cables between a balanced source and balanced amp. For the change of use I need to replace 1 male connector with 1 female connector.

So he already has balanced wire he just wants to change one end pair of plugs to be female do people read these forums properly?? before replying.
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Puffin

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hifinut wrote:

Ant wrote:
Puffin wrote:
I think you need to make sure that you use 110 Ohm cable if you want a good balanced signal (i.e not75 or 50 Ohm) I stand to be corrected.
Thats the standard for digital.
Earl wrote:

I have a set of male-male silver XLRs previously used for power-supply purposes which I wish to convert signal cables between a balanced source and balanced amp. For the change of use I need to replace 1 male connector with 1 female connector.

So he already has balanced wire he just wants to change one end pair of plugs to be female do people read these forums properly?? before replying.
glum.gif.19305e5ca189352e84c85f8ec971e437.gif
hifinut. I assume that you are having a pop at me. Earl said the lead was used for power supply purposes. It could therefore be a standard mains lead with XLR's attached ? I will of course bow to your superior knowledge and psychic powers.

 
E

earl of sodbury

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Now play nicely boys.
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The cables werescratch-built from 2 x 0.5mm 5nsilver wire, teflon tubing, braid screen,etc. to carry 12V from offboard PSU to DAC etc.

As the run is less than a metre, preciseresistance is (IME) irrelevant - these things only start mattering (IME) with 50M of mic cable in a studio... With both these, and the RCAs I scratch-built from 3 x 0.5mm silver, resistance is unmeasurable with an ordinary DMM...

I honestly wonder if doing this will make any difference to the sound anyway - but it'll only cost me the £4 for the new connectors to find out, so it's worth a play
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churz, eofs

 

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