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Preamp - using unbalanced input, balanced out to amp?

Kurtle

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Sep 23, 2021
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I think this will be fine but want to run this by the forum.

My preamp has both unbalanced and balanced inputs and outputs, amplifier has only balanced inputs. Any problem with the following:

DAC unbalanced output into Schitt 4 band Loki (unbalanced in and outs) into unbalanced input on preamp, then balanced out from preamp to amplifier?

Thanks for the help!
 

daftcombo

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Nope. I replaced RCA to XLR cables by XLR to XLR to go from a Little Bear MC2 to my Genelec 8030C and hiss decreased a lot, though the Little Bear is still fed by a Topping E30 in RCA.
So it can only be positive.
 

KSTR

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Looks good to me.
The most vulnerable signal path should be a balanced connection, and that is the cables from preamp to power amp as it will be lowest in level (after volume control) and they might have considerable length.

With this you should be fine already. Check with a very low level signal (dialed down in the source player to be just audible with preamp volume wide open -- at your reasonably loudest playback for quiet passages of recordings). In case you find to hear excessive noise of the mains hum&buzz type further optimization of cabling and grounding schemes would be required... notably the balanced inputs on the preamp could be used, etc.
 
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