Thanks! ATC said no problem with adapters. The engineer at JL Audio thought I might need to use an active adapter, but the tech I was talking to agreed with Drew Baird of Moon Audio that there shouldn't be a problem with short runs. What I mention about the ModWright in the OP was the answer to the question, "Is there anything in your builds that affects balanced and unbalanced outputs that I would need to know about in looking at how to deal with IC's and adapters?" I'll ask him about pins. Yes, I didn't state it directly, but am aware that the route will be through the subs to the ATCs.
XLR, RCA and adapters: Working with active speakers and subs
I came across an interesting discussion here about XLR to RCA adapters in 2010 and I have a variant of it. My current system is an Oppo 203 to a Directstream dac, to a pair of ATC SCM19A speakers via XLR. The ATCs are XLR only. The DSD has both XLR and RCA outputs, and I'm using the former. I’m looking at adding a pair of subs, such as the JL Audio e-110s, which are RCA only on the inputs/outputs. That would mean giving up XLR, at least electrically. I ran a test with RCA’s to the ATC’s with XLR adapters, and noise wasn't a problem. I should add that by the time I do this, the Oppo and dac may be combined into a ModWright 205, which has fully balanced XLR and RCA single-ended outputs, but I don't think that would necessarily change anything in cabling.
The issue I'm looking at is how to approach cabling and adapters. If I were starting fresh, I’d run RCA’s to the subs and onto the ATC’s, using an RCA to XLR adapter for the ATCs. But I’m not starting anew, as I have two pairs of MG Audio XLR’s and would like to limit the damage in $$ and sound. How would you approach it? What do you think of using XLR’s for both runs, with an appropriate adapter on each? I’ve been warned off using external transformers or anything active, that I would easily hear any of them through the ATC’s. Thanks,
The issue I'm looking at is how to approach cabling and adapters. If I were starting fresh, I’d run RCA’s to the subs and onto the ATC’s, using an RCA to XLR adapter for the ATCs. But I’m not starting anew, as I have two pairs of MG Audio XLR’s and would like to limit the damage in $$ and sound. How would you approach it? What do you think of using XLR’s for both runs, with an appropriate adapter on each? I’ve been warned off using external transformers or anything active, that I would easily hear any of them through the ATC’s. Thanks,
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