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RCA to XLR trouble

Definitely would worry more about delay than the sub's having its own dac. Especially for sub frequencies....
 
sam_adams said:
We discussed this recently—again for the millionth time. Follow Bill Whitlock's recommendation as illustrated below:

View attachment 366769

If you make them yourself, use a 'regular' XLR connector and a good Shielded-Twisted Pair (STP) cable that does not have a drain wire. If you're so inclined, you can even use a star-quad cable like Mogami W2534. Additionally, it is imperative to maintain the twist of the inner conductors right up to the solder cups in the connector—at both ends. Using an adapter and a two wire cable gives you no rejection. If you use a STP unbalanced cable to the adapter, the 'untwisting' of the pairs in the adapter will defeat the purpose of using an STP cable.

If you buy pre-made cables, you should open them up and examine the layout and the build quality on both ends of the cable. Bad solder joints, stray wires, or untwisted pairs in the cable? Send them back and find another vendor.
Click to expand...

I can't find a cable like that. Might go the DIY route but I bought the adapters for the output side already and two XLR cables.
 
nab1828 said:
I can't find a cable like that. Might go the DIY route but I bought the adapters for the output side already and two XLR cables.
Click to expand...

Enoaudio makes correct wired ones:

More expensive indeed but seems doing things right.

I am in a similar position as you as I need a new pair and don't want to go to DIY route.

I already have these ones in 0.5m but I need to replace them to a longer version (1m).

I was hoping to find cheaper ones but I cannot find alternatives to these enoaudio ones.
 
vicenzo_del_paris said:
Enoaudio makes correct wired ones:

More expensive indeed but seems doing things right.

I am in a similar position as you as I need a new pair and don't want to go to DIY route.

I already have these ones in 0.5m but I need to replace them to a longer version (1m).

I was hoping to find cheaper ones but I cannot find alternatives to these enoaudio ones.
Click to expand...

Nice find but I already ordered the adapters with two Cable Matters XLR cables. It's cheaper, too. In fact, it's half the cost.
 
nab1828 said:
Nice find but I already ordered the adapters with two Cable Matters XLR cables. It's cheaper, too. In fact, it's half the cost.
Click to expand...
which adapters did you end up with ?
 
Last edited:
Blumlein 88 said:
I think he got the Neutrik adapters.
Click to expand...
Which model specifically would be good to know @nab1828

The NA2MPMF for example cannot easily be used with XLR cables (it's designed to be plugged directly into the XLR input) and would again go against Genelec's recommendation regarding cable construction.
 
Wouldn't something inexpensive like this Monoprice cable work?


The description states: "This cable uses the standard pinout with pins 1 and 3 of the XLR connector wired to the shield of the RCA Plug and pin 2 of the XLR connector wired to the tip of the RCA Plug."

If I read that correctly (and assuming it's accurate), wouldn't that have to mean that, as @staticV3 has written above, pins 1 and 3 are properly kept separate all the way up until the RCA connector?

But at the same time, does this kind of adapter cable work if the direction of the signal is XLR-->RCA, like If you're going from an unbalanced source output to a balanced input? Or does the direction of the signal not matter?
 
tmtomh said:
Wouldn't something inexpensive like this Monoprice cable work?

Amazon.com
Click to expand...
Yes. Sadly not available where OP lives.

tmtomh said:
But at the same time, does this kind of adapter cable work if the direction of the signal is XLR-->RCA, like If you're going from an unbalanced source output to a balanced input?
Click to expand...
That cable is designed for RCA->XLR, so Unbal to Bal.
 
staticV3 said:
Yes. Sadly not available where OP lives.


That cable is designed for RCA->XLR, so Unbal to Bal.
Click to expand...

Wow, that was a super-quick reply - thank you!

I didn't realize Monoprice cables aren't available in other countries via Amazon (although upon reflection that makes sense).

This happens to be the cable I use. I use it as a digital cable, to go from coax to Genelec AES EBU, but I presume that has no impact on the cable's noise-rejection properties.
 
One more dumb question: if the signal starts out unbalanced, and therefore pins 1 and 3 are tied together at the origin (the RCA jack), then am I correct in assuming that any noise carried by the RCA ground will make its way down the pin 1 wire/shield, to the XLR connection?

In other words this kind of RCA-->XLR cable will cancel most noise picked up along the cable run, but will still be susceptible to ground-transmitted noise from the originating component, because that noise could travel down the pin 3 wire and not be present on the pin 2 wire and therefore not be canceled out. Is that correct?
 
I've used these Radial J+4 boxes in some installed systems. They can get noisy with too much gain applied and aren't exactly cheap but they certainly do convert -10dBv unbalanced to +4 dBu balanced.

My biggest gripe is that the Raidial ad copy says they are discrete, but upon opening one you find a dual op amp IC. Not that op amps are bad, but the advertising is deceptive.


IMG_0531.jpeg
 
staticV3 said:
Which model specifically would be good to know @nab1828

The NA2MPMF for example cannot easily be used with XLR cables (it's designed to be plugged directly into the XLR input) and would again go against Genelec's recommendation regarding cable construction.
Click to expand...
www.audiosciencereview.com

RCA to XLR trouble

Hi, I'm obviously new to pro audio. My setup consists of a stereo music system and a separate 5.1 system. I'm having trouble figuring out how to do an unbalanced to balanced connection for the music system. My speakers are the 8030c studio Genelecs which have XLR inputs, unlike their home...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com

RCA male with XLR male on the other end. Don't know why either could not be used with other XLR cables. I have that type end on some cables and extend XLR to XLR with them all the time. The type he ordered will let him use XLR all the way to his pre-amp, and terminated as XLR usually does except inside the shell it will tie two of the pins to the RCA ground. Twist, shielding etc is maintained until the connection to RCA inside the metal plug.

www.neutrik.com

NA2MPMM

3 pole XLR male – RCA / phono plug Wired according to IEC 268-12:Pin 2: signalPin 1 and 3: connected to ground
www.neutrik.com www.neutrik.com
1714503440636.png
 
Last edited:
Blumlein 88 said:
www.audiosciencereview.com

RCA to XLR trouble

Hi, I'm obviously new to pro audio. My setup consists of a stereo music system and a separate 5.1 system. I'm having trouble figuring out how to do an unbalanced to balanced connection for the music system. My speakers are the 8030c studio Genelecs which have XLR inputs, unlike their home...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com

RCA male with XLR male on the other end. Don't know why either could not be used with other XLR cables. I have that type end on some cables and extend XLR to XLR with them all the time. The type he ordered will let him use XLR all the way to his pre-amp, and terminated as XLR usually does except inside the shell it will tie two of the pins to the RCA ground. Twist, shielding etc is maintained until the connection to RCA inside the metal plug.

www.neutrik.com

NA2MPMM

3 pole XLR male – RCA / phono plug Wired according to IEC 268-12:Pin 2: signalPin 1 and 3: connected to ground
www.neutrik.com www.neutrik.com
View attachment 366931
Click to expand...

That's what I got x2 and 2 Cable Matters XLR female to male cables.
 
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