XLR vs RCA

You will find many recent threads along these lines. XLR connections are for balanced components and the signal comes through a bit louder. Many components do have XLR connections but are not truly balanced and they convert the signal back to unbalanced. This usually happens in the amp.

My DAC has both balanced(XLR) and unbalanced(RCA) and I bi-amp(run two amps at the same time). The XLR goes to my truly balanced amp powering speakers in my office and the RCA goes to my McIntosh amp(which is not a truly blalaced amp) and this powers speakers in my living room.

Again, you will find many recent threads with many opinions answering this question. Very recent threads. Try doing searches for 'balanced' 'unbalanced' 'XLR', etc.

XLR's are superior is a number of ways. First, they are locking, so they won't pull loose. Second, they have male and female, so you can't accidently plug them in backwards. Third, they use a two signal system comprising an uninverted and an inverted signal plus a third wire ground, which carries no signal current. This "balanced" or "differential" signalling system allows the receiving component to have better noise rejection than with Single-Ended (SE) signalling. This is possible because the receiving component subtracts the + and - signals to get the signal that is used in the component. If there is any noise that is common to both + and -, this will be eliminated by the subtraction process. This is referred to as "common-mode" noise, which can include 60 Hz hum, Schott noise, RFI etc...

The thing that you need to be aware of is that all designers do not have good designs for Balanced inputs and outputs. To determine which of SE and Balanced sounds better, you need to listen to both on a given component and choose the one that sounds best.

Play with both type of connections to see if there's a pleasing difference. I've read the XLR have more impact if you are running long cable runs. For short ones, it may make no differenc.

Finally, while the Odyssy amp has XLR inputs, I don't believe it is a true balanced amp internally. Call Klaus, the owner-extraordinare, and he'll be happy to answer your question.

I have the HT3, a three channel edition of the Stratos and I like my amp a lot.

Stratos and tempest, I have not heard it first hand, but my buddies tell me, and Klaus too, that the Groneberg cables are best match with the odyssey equipment, since that is what the internal wiring is.
Good luck.

PS, how do you like the Tempest? I am thinking about it, but for the Mono Stratos...What did you have before the tempest?
Tuan

Please help me about connecting XLR and RCA. My amp and pre-amp have xlr and RCA but my CD player only has RCA. Do you think I should connect pre-amp and amp xlr connectors, and Cd player is RCA connector. Or all connections are RCAs. Do you think there will be a different for connection choice? Please help

i think the biggest difference in a truly balanced design is a dual differential design. the major advantage is less noise since the ground is seperate and you can generally run longer runs of ics.

the positive and negative literally have their own preamp( the output is doubled and the ground is seperate). if a rca connection was balanced, there would be 4 of them.

general rule of thumb, most truly balanced differential designs sound better than single ended...keep in mind, generally.

hope that helps!!

mike

Yep, XLR all the way. If your amps and source/preamp accept em, use em.