XLR out on a tuner?

Thanks for that. In my case the distance will be no more than a foot or two. I've got some good quality RCA cables that I can use for this application. A good set of 3' World's Best Cables XLRs would add another $30 to the total if I felt like I needed them.

If I did go with the XLR cables then the whole system (other than CDP) would be balanced, if that matters. It would be XLR from tuner to pre-amp and it is already XLR from pre-amp to amp.

Not really. Got a 4 bay rack with spiked feet. Amp is on the bottom shelf and has plenty of room to breath.  The shelf above it does not get hot. It makes heat but it has huge open heat sinks. Pre-amp is on top shelf. It makes a lot of heat that goes straight up so I have it on the top shelf up on some walnut blocks with sorbothane pads underneath. It has great airlfow around it now. CD player is on sorbothane disks also.

So at least I got the pre-amp off of the CDP. This Sony CDP does not make nearly as much heat as the Arcam.

I know this isn't ideal but for now it is the best I can do. With the room configuration there is no good cheap way to get the components out from between the speakers but at least the speakers are well out in front of the components. When I build the bookshelves I'll be able to get the components separated much better.

In regard to this thread I did buy the Denon tuner. Like new for $120. I'll use the World's Best Cable RCA cables for now but might consider their XLRs when I have some extra cash ($30). 

None of this is pricey but I'm buying CDs now so there has been a constant stream of audio stuff coming to the door and my wife is starting to roll her eyes a bit.

Anyway, when this tuner gets here I'm pretty much set and will just be buying more CDs and hopefully nothing else.....but I know that isn't the audiophile way and I'm trying to avoid the feeling that I just need that something a little better........

I think digital/streaming/PC will have to wait a while.

Again, I’m new to all this so I don’t understand what balanced really means. I’m assuming its a good thing and that might be all I need to know from a technical standpoint.

From a practical standpoint I do have a couple of questions:

First, assuming ’balanced’ is a good thing, how important is it? In other words, what should I expect to hear from unbalanced(?)/ single ended vs. truly balanced?

Second, if the system is not truly balanced, is there any advantage whatsoever to 3 foot long high quality XLR cables over 3 foot long high quality RCA cables?

Third, is my system truly balanced? (I don’t know how to find out.) It is an Acoustic Research LS16 tubed pre-amp feeding a Madrigal Proceed (Mark Levinson) HPA2 amp via Transparent Balanced MusicLink Super XLR cables from the "Main 2" outputs (the Main 1 outputs are RCA).

There are 2 sets of balanced XLR inputs on the back of the LS16. Both are empty for now.

A little research reveals that the Audio Research LS16 is a truly balanced pre-amp and that the Proceed HPA2 is also a truly balanced amp. So if this tuner I've bought is also truly balanced, and it says that it is, then I should be getting whatever benefits are to be had from a fully balanced system from tuner to pre-amp to amp for what that might be worth. I'll probably go ahead and get some good XLR cables. I probably would not be able to tell the difference between that and single-ended but at least I'll know that I have things maximized.

My CDP does not have balanced output.

Thanks. I did not know how to tell from the specs. Sounds like a gimmick then. Certainly will not buy XLR cables. Shame that Denon would resort to that sort of bait-and-switch.

I guess if you just happened to have XLR cables lying around and no RCA cables it would actually be a 'feature'.

Anyway, can't wait for it to get here. I still enjoy listening to the radio. Even though I'm not real into classical we have a superb classical station here well worth listening to.

Thanks for the explanations guys.

Not that it matters in my case, but it seems a shame that Denon, or anyone else, would market a component aimed, presumably, at higher end buyers and include connecters and the description ’balanced’ when 1) they may be abusing the term for marketing purposes and 2) might sound worse or at least no better than the standard SE connector.

In fact, it seems down right deceitful to go to the trouble and expense of adding XLR connectors when the only real benefit is marketing. Not that I’m surprised, this goes on in the photography world (which I’m well versed in) but to a lesser extent with "pro" level gear. Which makes me wonder if Denon’s "pro" level stuff is really just average midfi stuff actually aimed at midfi buyers who won’t know the difference between truly balanced and some version of ’balanced’ which conveys no benefit.

Having learned all this I’d say I’m unlikely to spend another $30 on XLR cables to find out if there is a difference. I already have good if not very good RCA cables in hand and at this point in my audiophile ’career’ I have no confidence that I’d hear a minor difference anyway.

All very interesting stuff and thanks again.

And for the record, I don’t regret the purchase (yet, it hasn’t arrived) since the balanced XLR output didn’t impact my decision to buy it.

I got the tuner today. I know why someone sold it. It hums. Not through the speakers, through its cabinet, primarily the top. A small amount of pressure at a single point on the top stops the humming. I can only hear it with the music muted and I have to be pretty close. From my listening position I cannot hear it at all even with the music off.

It does not seem like a malfunction, I think it is just poor design and construction. Probably not enough for me to send it back.

Otherwise it is like new and works great. 

I have no plans to dump it. I said above that the problem was not bad enough for me to send it back.

But thanks for the advice, I will do just as you suggest and take a look. Certainly can't hurt. And if all else fails I think I can simply set something on it and stop the hum. Even that is probably not necessary since I can not hear it from 12 feet away anyhow.

I do not know how old it is but definitely not vintage. Denon does not make it anymore but there appear to be some places out there where you can still buy one new, usually shown as special order, so who knows. Anyway, not real old.