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Balanced Phono question - forgive my ignorance

So if you have a balanced phono stage (and I'm not re-hashing the argument whether it matters, is better etc. - I think that's been done), does the wiring from the arm to the phono then have a balanced connector, or is the balance achieved through attaching the ground wire to the phono, and then a balanced cable out to the pre-amp?

Sorry if this shows a complete lack of understanding of what balanced is, I was just curious from a wiring perspective. My system is completely using balanced connectors, and I'd like to not change anything, so a balanced pre may be in the cards.

Best wishes & thanks.
hatari

Showing 2 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,116 posts
 
Dgarretson's response is correct except for what looks like a typo:

However, some phono stages not balanced all the way through have true-balanced output sections. In this case you will benefit going XLR from phono to pre.

I think the word 'not' goes between 'will' and 'benefit'.

I don't think there are too many phono sections out there that have XLR inputs but are not balanced, so its probably a moot point. We found that most people really didn't understand what we were up to with the balanced input on our phono section; I can't imagine why a manufacturer would take that on and *not* have at the same time a fully balanced (and in our case, differential) phono section inside.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,116 posts
 
Hi Dave, the early BAT must be one of the few! Most of the phono sections I've seen with a balanced output are also balanced in.

TD, There is a way to run balanced operation from RCA jacks from a tone arm, provided the tone arm ground is on a seperate post. In such a case, the idea is to have the arm ground be the shield of both channels, and the barrel connection of the RCA is then the inverting output of the cartridge, going to pin 3 of the XLR. It should on no account be connected to ground. This setup will work fine with no hum problems.
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