Downside to connecting pre-out unbalanced to separate pre-amp to then go balanced out to balanced power amp?

[Kirk wallace]

I apologize for this question, but I’ve gotten my self in an odd situation. I want to see if I like the performance of a used amp in my system and it only has XLR balanced inputs (it’s the JRDG 625 2s). My music source these days is an NAD M33 (streaming/dac integrated amp). And I only stream via TIDAL or Qobuz, usually through Roon, but sometimes via the blue sound app directly. The m33 only has RCA outs for use in “pre-out” mode. I also have a currently not in use but totally fine Parasound P5 pre-amp that has both balanced and unbalanced outputs.

My question is will I risk any damage to either the p5 Pre-amp or the 625 S2 amp if I RCA the M33 (via the pre-out ports) to the P5 and then XLR cable the P5 to the 625 S2? (I would shut off the amp in the M33 while this set up was in place.)

And if the answer is no damage risk, then can anyone comment on whether I’m likely to get a fair demo of the performance of the 625 s2 with this set up?

For added color, let me add that I asked the JRDG support folks about using an adaptor on the RCA cables so they would terminate with XLR male ends and was told that’s is totally fine and they linked me to the adapters they would use. (Obviously, this path would not result in a true balanced signal going into the amp.)

Many thanks for any advice!

 

[staticV3]

My question is will I risk any damage to either the p5 Pre-amp or the 625 S2 amp if I RCA the M33 (via the pre-out ports) to the P5 and then XLR cable the P5 to the 625 S2?

Not at all.

And if the answer is no damage risk, then can anyone comment on whether I’m likely to get a fair demo of the performance of the 625 s2 with this set up?

Yes. The 625 s2 won't be affected in any way by using the M33->P5 as source.

 

[Kirk wallace]

Many thanks! Then this approach seems better than using the adapter, right?

 

[staticV3]

Many thanks! Then this approach seems better than using the adapter, right?

Better in that you're 100% guaranteed to get a fully balanced connection to the Amp, and you get higher output voltage than from the M33 alone.

 

[DVDdoug]

(Obviously, this path would not result in a true balanced signal going into the amp.)

But you still get most of the noise rejection benefits of a balanced connection. I solved a noise problem I was having with a "special" automotive project by building a circuit with a balanced input, even though the signal I was feeding it was unbalanced RCA.



BTW - You have to be careful going the other way around from balanced to unbalanced. You can end-up shorting one of the balanced signal lines to ground and some equipment doesn't like that so it's best to check with the manufacturer of the device with the balanced output. (Shorting one balanced input line to ground is OK.)

 

[Kirk wallace]

That is what I suspected. Thanks!