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Are luxman integrated amps truly balanced?

Hello,

I have the Luxman L-507z integrated amp. Sounds excellent. There are 2 line inputs on the back that are listed as balanced inputs (XLR). My DAC has balanced outputs (holoaudio spring 3 kte). Am I wasting my time and money getting good xlr cables? Also the DAC puts out 5.8volts. The XLR inputs (according to Luxman) can handle up to 6volts. Using RCA outputs/inputs the DAC puts out 2.9volts and the amp can handle up to 9 volts. Am I in danger of harming my amp using XLR ? The DAC has no volume control. The cable run is very short...3 feet.

paqua123

Showing 1 response by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,492 posts
 

OP,

You are right to ask the question. But one can simply sound better because of the way it was designed and built, and the component you are connecting it to. Whether the design is fully balanced is unlikely to guarantee the correct choice. The  correct answer is you have to try them both to be 100% sure. 
 

I own ARC equipment which is balanced, and they recommend XLR… but I tried both and if there is a difference I can’t tell. They spent a lot of effort to make sure they sounded the same. With my equipment I am able to hook up to equalize the volume and switch back and forth. 

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