• Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Analogue Audio Over XLR vs. D-sub – Performance Differences?

bibio

Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2020
Messages
20
Likes
4
Hello all,

I’ve noticed that some manufacturers opt for D-sub (typically DB25) inputs and outputs for space-saving reasons. These are often connected to external equipment using D-sub to XLR breakout cables.

I’m curious—are there any inherent performance differences when using D-sub connectors compared to traditional XLR connections for analogue audio? Specifically, does the more compact nature of the D-sub result in greater crosstalk or signal degradation?

Additionally, since D-sub cables are usually enclosed in some form of multicore cable, could this impact performance as well, perhaps in terms of shielding, interference, or channel separation?

I understand this might be more of a hypothetical question, but I'm wondering: in a direct performance comparison between two otherwise similar devices—one using XLR and the other using D-sub, would the D-sub-equipped unit be at a disadvantage from a signal integrity perspective?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
 
Back
Top Bottom