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XLR or SE cable?

After reading the current posts relating to the volumne differences between XLR and SE cables and the recommendation of ARC (to use balanced) I find myself in a quandry as to an avenue of selection for a possibile change and could use some help. I have an ARC CD 3 Mk2 using with a Classe CAP 151 integrated amp. Currently I have them tied with SE Ridge Street Poeima ICs (1 mtr), I must add that listening is nicely relaxed and not fatiuging at all but, I was looking to warm up the presentation a little more and get a bit more bottom end extention as well. ARC recommends using balanced for optimum results (which I could do), after contenplating a change I was wondering if this would be the right route to go? Also after seeing the posting about volumne differences between using the two this additionally leaves me questioning it as well becuse I'm used to the settings I currently use for listening. I have settled on a new pair of ICs from Grover Huffman and before I invest I would like to make the right decision to do so and could use some advise as to XLR or SE being the better or best selection and benefits for optimation? Speakers are Apogee Slant 6s and I listen to soft rock, blues, new age, and jazz.
rsjm80

Showing 4 responses by herman

herman
2,273 posts
 
The manual for your integrated says the preamp out is SE only. That leads me to suspect that if you do use the balanced inputs it is going to be converted to SE inside the integrated anyway. If that is the case I see no reason to use a balanced IC.
herman
2,273 posts
 
Just because the input is balanced doesn't mean that it isn't converted to SE at that point and remain SE throughout. The manual doesn't say so I have no idea which is correct, but it just seems strange to me that if the whole signal chain is balanced that they would only have SE output from the preamp.

I agree with the suggestion to just try it. Even if you buy expensive cables you can get them used for about 1/2 here and resell for the same if the experiment doesn't turn out for the better. That's 1/2 the fun anyway!
herman
2,273 posts
 
I'm a little skeptical of that claim.... "However they will not have benefited from the “differential circuit” so will be of a lower quality with more noise." Sounds like marketing hype to me. What do they mean by "lower quality?" How much noise can you pick up going a meter or so from the CD to the integrated? I run all SE with 107 dB efficient horns with tube amps and you have to get your ear up close to the horns to hear any residual noise. However, I'll fall back to an earlier post and encourage you to try it with used cables. You have nothing to lose and something to learn as well as gaining the peace of mind of knowing which you prefer.
herman
2,273 posts
 
Perhaps, or maybe the preamp he was using sounded better when being fed a balanced signal.

Beware of reviewers who use the word verisimilitude.
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