Equipment Rack Between Speakers...Good or Bad

On well, I may have to spend a little more on long XLR’s since I am getting the m900u.

@yyzsantabarbara You should be alright. It makes far more difference that the preamp supports the standard than the amp. To that end you can probably run Mogami Neglex and totally get away with it. If in doubt you can always audition another cable beside it. The main thing the amp has to do is have both the inverted and noninverted signal pins processed in the same manner. To bad they didn't support the standard- in an amplifier its easy to do. Its a lot harder for a preamp!

Thanks for your patience. Yes, our units do support the AES48 standard.

:)

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking of using the long runs based on a thread you commented on. I am thinking of using a Benchmark LA4 preamp, which I think supports the balanced standard as you described.

@yyzsantabarbara I would not leave that bit about the balanced standard to chance or assumption! Ask them if the unit supports AES48. They should reply with a 'yes' or 'no' without obfuscation.
The tricky bit that most manufacturers have is the part about how the balanced line system ignores ground and as a result how the output of something like a preamp **doesn't reference ground** in order to work. So if they seem uncertain if the standard is supported, ask them if it will work if only a twisted pair is used to conduct the signal, using only pins 2 and 3 of the output. If they say 'no- that will cause a hum or buzz because pin 1 isn't hooked up' or words to that effect, then you will know that the standard is not supported. I looked at their website, but information like that wasn't available.

Would you care to mention the brand of XLR interconnects you are using into your amps? How long are they?

My equipment supports the balanced line standard so the actual brand of cable doesn't affect the sound. I built some 30 foot cables using Mogami Neglex cable. I've used a variety of cables but they all sound the same. However, take away that bit about 'supports the balanced line standard' and that all goes out the window! FWIW a lot of the balanced line equipment I've seen in high end audio doesn't support the standard (also known as AES48) so YMMV depending on the equipment you use.

The ideal system will have balanced input mono amps right behind the speakers keeping the speaker wires as short as possible. Balanced ins and outs let you use long low level signal cables without ill effect. Now you can put the rack anywhere in the room you want unless you have a turntable in which case you want to get it as far away from the speakers as possible in a place where the bass is not amplified.

^^ This.

My system is in my living room, which is connected to the dining room. My equipment rack is actually in the dining room, completely out of the direct radiation of the speakers; my amps reside right by my speakers with a balanced connection driving them. I did a frequency sweep of the room and found that it favored a certain bass frequency, then went around the living and dining room with my sound pressure meter and found the area where the bass was at its least. That space is occupied by my equipment stand. Fortunately readily accessible from the living room and out of the way of any activities in the dining room.