Rca Or Balanced

[comeup]

I have a Monster power amp hooked up with a B&K ref 50 using balanced connections. The sound is good ,but sounded better with RCA Audioquest Cobra cables. I thought for sure that the balanced cables would be better, they are made by Bluejean cables. I don't know if I want to try another company or go back to the rca cables.



Does anyone think balanced cables are better

[aud19]

Balanced connections can improve SQ on long and/or noisy runs where all the equipment is of a "true" balanced design which most equipment isn't. In other words, most of the time your better off spending a given amount of dollars on higher quality RCA's rather than lower quality balanced cables IMO.

[dyazdani]

Balanced connections can improve SQ on long and/or noisy runs where all the equipment is of a "true" balanced design which most equipment isn't. In other words, most of the time your better off spending a given amount of dollars on higher quality RCA's rather than lower quality balanced cables IMO.

Same thing I was going to say...

[Karma]

HI,
I agree. There are certain appllications when a tiny signal is making a long run where balanced make sense. Like microphones to a mixing panel, for instance. But looking at high end literature makes you feel like if you are not running balanced you are not a member of the high end club. That's just not true.

Sparky

[Azeke]

I also concur with Jason, good RCA's, unless you have a lot of noise or long runs as previously stated.

Best regards,

Azeke

[comeup]

Hey thanks guys I guess I'll be going back to the rca's I thought my ears might be playing tricks on me , but the balanced cables did sound a little muddy, I'm starting to become an audiofile scary,scary but fun. thanks for the replys.

[comeup]

Went back to the rca's and I now realize that difference was huge that great sound is back. ........Thanks again

[r100gs]

I have a Monster power amp hooked up with a B&K ref 50 using balanced connections. The sound is good ,but sounded better with RCA Audioquest Cobra cables. I thought for sure that the balanced cables would be better, they are made by Bluejean cables. I don't know if I want to try another company or go back to the rca cables.



Does anyone think balanced cables are better

Any interconnect can effect sound. Who knows what your system would sound like if you were using Audioquest Cobra XLR's? :W

[ToddAnisman]

Well, more likely he's hearing a poorly design differential input on the balanced input stage. There's a set of Op-amps there that can really screw up the sound. the Single ended input doesn't have them, so his transient response isn't getting whacked.


-Todd A.

[Karma]

HI,
Yeah Todd, I agree. And it's not just those op amps. Any differential circuit offers huge challanges to the designer. If the circuit is not exaxctly balanced under all load conditions, at all frequencies and amplitudes, and at all temperatures it will produce artifacts (distortion). Some times I think people rave about an amplifier when what they ae really hearing is distortion produced by poorly designed differential circuits.

No doubt good differential circuits can be designed (I've heard them but they were very high end) but not inexpensively especially if discrete components are used as they should be. I am not a big fan of differential amps except those made by Audio Research who seems to have mastered the art/science.

Sparky

[ToddAnisman]

HI,
Yeah Todd, I agree. And it's not just those op amps. Any differential circuit offers huge challanges to the designer. If the circuit is not exaxctly balanced under all load conditions, at all frequencies and amplitudes, and at all temperatures it will produce artifacts (distortion). Some times I think people rave about an amplifier when what they ae really hearing is distortion produced by poorly designed differential circuits.

No doubt good differential circuits can be designed (I've heard them but they were very high end) but not inexpensively especially if discrete components are used as they should be. I am not a big fan of differential amps except those made by Audio Research who seems to have mastered the art/science.

Sparky

I agree, although I love Brystons....I have a 9B that I am in love with, although I do get GAS for a 6B/4B Combo... he he he.

I think Monster has the most brilliant marketing scheme in history, but their products are merely average. I think better can be had for less money.

-Todd A.

[Rolyasm]

Another thing with Earthquake CineNova. It has XLR's but it isn't a balanced unit. So don't think you would hear a big differene if you went to higher end XLR's. Just my thought, but I may be wrong.
Roly

[comeup]

I agree, although I love Brystons....I have a 9B that I am in love with, although I do get GAS for a 6B/4B Combo... he he he.

I think Monster has the most brilliant marketing scheme in history, but their products are merely average. I think better can be had for less money.

-Todd A.

Todd the Monster amp sounds great with the RCA's and the XLR's its' a great amp and I think its well worth the money, just better with the RCA's maybe it's the B&K circuits maybe its the Monster circuits or maybe its the XLR's that I used, were always trying to make our systems sound better no matter how good they sound now, thats what we do. Someone told me recently to use balanced connections, that your whole system should be balanced dvd, cd, ect. I don't know how true that is just something someone told me.



Peace