First Foray into XLR

FYI, RCA-terminated unbalanced cables constructed with the same Mogami 2534 wire that is used in the Gold Studio balanced cables can be obtained here:

https://www.markertek.com/product/msc3rr/mogami-neglex-quad-audio-cable-rca-male-to-male-3-foot-blac...

Also, keep in mind that most cable parameters and consequently most cable effects are proportional to length.  So the relatively short length you require is likely to make your choice of cables less critical than it would be in many other circumstances.

Good luck.  Regards,
-- Al 

Reasons why XLR interconnections can make a difference in a home audio system, compared to RCA interconnections (although depending on the specific designs that difference may or may not be for the better):

1)The configuration of the output circuit providing the signal is different, or at least should be different.

2)The configuration of the input circuit receiving the signal is different, or at least should be different (apparently it is not in the case of the OP's amp).

3)The impedance relationship between those circuits may be different.

4)Depending on the specific designs of the interface circuits in the two components susceptibility to ground loop-related high frequency noise and low frequency hum may be less in the case of XLR.

5)Depending on the specific designs of the interface circuits in the two components sensitivity to cable differences may be less in the case of XLR. See the post by Atmasphere dated 3-22-2013 near the beginning of this thread, and his answer to my follow-up question later in the thread.

6)And of course the cable and connectors are different.

7)Note that none of the previous factors relate to whether or not the components are "fully balanced," i.e., to whether or not they have balanced internal signal paths. As alluded to in one of the previous posts, XLR interconnections are especially likely to be beneficial if the components are fully balanced.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks for providing that info, Stereo5. So I would think that in this case the word "bridged" in the amp’s description refers to internal jumpers (i.e., connections) between the RCA and XLR connectors, as I’ve occasionally seen the term "bridged" being used to mean "jumpered."

Therefore the signal pin on the RCA connector is presumably jumpered to one of the two signal pins on the XLR connector, most likely pin 2, and the ground shell of the RCA connector is presumably jumpered to the ground pin (pin 1) of the XLR connector. But a significant concern I would have is that since the amp apparently doesn’t provide a switch to select between the XLR and RCA inputs, the other signal pin on the XLR connector, pin 3, might also be connected to the ground pin, or to another ground point within the amp.

If that is the case, connecting the amp to the A/V Processor via XLR cables would short the signal provided on pin 3 by the A/V P to ground. While some components can tolerate that (and there are a few designs that would require it), some cannot (see this thread for example), and in some cases damage to the component providing the signal could conceivably even result, eventually if not sooner.

That issue would not arise, of course, if the design leaves pin 3 unconnected. But in that case it would seem unlikely that going to XLR cables would provide any benefit, as Stereo5 indicated. Unless, that is, the sonics of the A/V P’s XLR outputs are superior to those of its RCA outputs, which I suspect is unlikely in this particular case.

In any event, it sounds like an inquiry to Klaus would be in order before connecting these components via XLR, to clarify how pin 3 is handled.

Regards,
-- Al

+1 re Mogami, specifically Mogami Gold Studio, which is the de facto cable of choice in many professional applications. And like a number of others here I’ve had fine results with it in various home applications at various lengths. And the price is certainly reasonable.

However, while I suspect that using XLR rather than RCA interconnections will make a difference, I suspect that the major contributor to the difference will not be the cable itself, but rather differences between the configurations of the XLR and RCA interface circuits in the two components. And the only way to know which one will sound better is to try them both.

Also, assuming you are using the stereo version of the amp I think it would be a good idea to contact Klaus at Odyssey and ask him what is meant by the word "bridged" in the website’s reference to the XLR input of the amp. Usually that term refers to a technique for configuring a stereo amp such that it can be used as a more powerful mono amp, which processes an input for just one channel. Evidently that is not what is meant here, but it would be good to know just what is meant, or if it is simply a mistake in the description.

Good luck. Regards,
--Al