Best XLR Male to Male Cable Solution

[Caprichoso]

I am trying to understand what cables I need to connect an Oppo HA-1 to set of Neumann KH 120 speakers. The Oppo requires a male XLR cable connector and for some reason the KH 120 XLR analogue connection also requires a male XLR cable connector rather than the normal female. XLR male to male cables seem to be difficult to find. I have found some microphone XLR male to male cables but I assume I need speaker cables. That's the Mogami site suggests.

I was looking at the Mogami GOLD TRS-XLRM

https://mogamicable.com/category/accessory/powered_speaker/​

which has 1 male XLR and the other is described as as 1/4" TRS. I'm not sure I know what "TRS" is vs a standard RCA jack.

The KH 120 manual says:

So the KH 120 manual talks about adapters "jack-XLR" and "RCA-XLR".

1. a. What is a Jack connecter versus an RCA connector?
b. What is the the difference between a jack XLR adapter and an "RCA-XLR" adapter?
2. Looking at the Mogami GOLD TRS-XLRM with its 1/4" TRS connector due to the the absense of XLR male to XLR male cables
a. What is a TRS connector?
b. what adapter would I need to convert it to XLR?
3. The 1/4" TRS connector is evidently balanced.
a. Wouild that would mean that any adapter I purchased would have to be balanced?
b. or I would give up balancing?
3. Any good recommendations about male to male XLR speaker cables or female to male cable adapters?

(Reposted from a thread with a different topic heading)

 

[antcollinet]

I think it is normal for inputs to be female (on the device) and outputs to be male.

As far as I can see your speaker and DAC both conform to this spec, so a standard XLR should be what you need..

(These are pictures of the rear of the Oppo and KH120)

 

[Blumlein 88]

As antcollinet said, you need a standard xlr cable. Those are female on one end and male on the other.

 

[Caprichoso]

It would have helped if I had looked at the back of the Oppo rather than manual which doesn't indicate that it is female.

Thanks for correcting my stupidity.

Any recommendations for a mogami equivalent quality XLR male/female cable? Evidently the only one they have is a microphone, not a speaker cable.

 

[somebodyelse]

Also you don't need speaker cable as it's a line level signal and not carrying significant current. Mic cable is fine.

TRS refers to the tip, ring and sleeve of a 1/4" jack. They're commonly used for stereo headphone connections with tip and ring as left and right, but also for balanced connections with tip and ring as hot and cold.

 

[Caprichoso]

Awesome! Thanks.

Looking at the Mogami website their Microphone XLR cables don't seem to be balanced. The Neumann manual says:

If possible, use a balanced, analog signal connection (XLR, stereo jack) to prevent interference in the cable.

Should I be looking somewhere else than Mogami then? If so any equivalent recommendations?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Awesome! Thanks.

Looking at the Mogami website their Microphone XLR cables don't seem to be balanced. The Neumann manual says:

If possible, use a balanced, analog signal connection (XLR, stereo jack) to prevent interference in the cable.

Should I be looking somewhere else than Mogami then? If so any equivalent recommendations?

Yes Mogami microphone cables are balanced. Microphone use needs balanced connections more than any other use.

A good source for these is Worlds Best Cable on Amazon. Mogami or Canare cables with Neutrik or Amphenol connectors.

 

[Caprichoso]

Thanks everyone! Order placed. Platinum cables arriving tomorrow, speakers and MA-1 bundle arriving Saturday.