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#1
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xlr vs. rca
What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am
I confoozed? Best, Mark Allen Zimmerman * Chicago |
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#2
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#3
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Stewart Pinkerton wrote in message ...
On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, (MarkZimmerman) wrote: What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am I confoozed? RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen body. There is a *world* of difference! Is there suppose to be a difference sonically? Because in *most* cases I can't tell the difference. In longer runs the XLR is defintely a hum fighter when compared to the RCA connections. Of course, I always use XLR professionally (my videography business) because you can't afford to have an untimely disconnect as will happen with insecure RCA connections. Besides all my video gear has only XLR for the main connections, although there are RCA connections for monitoring purposes. But for my audio systems, over the years, as long as I keep my interconnects short, and had no inherent hum problems, I have found there was little or no difference in sound that I could readily detect between RCA and XLR connections. Also, I have found that some gear has some very high quality (visually well constructed) RCA connections, while other gear could have cheaply made XLR type connections. Robert C. Lang |
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#4
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"Robert C. Lang" wrote in message
... Stewart Pinkerton wrote in message ... On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, (MarkZimmerman) wrote: What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am I confoozed? RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen body. There is a *world* of difference! Is there suppose to be a difference sonically? Because in *most* cases I can't tell the difference. In longer runs the XLR is defintely a hum fighter when compared to the RCA connections. Of course, I always use XLR professionally (my videography business) because you can't afford to have an untimely disconnect as will happen with insecure RCA connections. Besides all my video gear has only XLR for the main connections, although there are RCA connections for monitoring purposes. But for my audio systems, over the years, as long as I keep my interconnects short, and had no inherent hum problems, I have found there was little or no difference in sound that I could readily detect between RCA and XLR connections. Also, I have found that some gear has some very high quality (visually well constructed) RCA connections, while other gear could have cheaply made XLR type connections. Robert C. Lang In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise. |
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#6
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"Harry Lavo" wrote in message ...
In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise. Actually, not so. If nothing else, almost ANY otherb connector wins over RCA's be default, but some of the actual benenfits to XLRs include: 1. Superior mechanical engineering: XLRs have a positive locking feature, while RCA's depend (unreliably) on an imprecise friction fit for mechanical integrity. The mechanical/electrical integrity of the connections is not co-dependent on one another: RCA's, to work properly, must have all the surfaces mate with similar forces simultaneously: not so with XLRs. The only way to accomplish this on an RCA is to have the ground/shield be a slight conical profile while the signal pin is a sliding contact. This leads to the second issue: 2. XLR's are designed to have the shield/ground connect BEFORE the signal does: RCA's have no such design standard, and many, in fact, connect signal befor ground. THis is a direct consequence of the measures that must be taken, as mentioned above, to ensure mechanical integrity of the connection. Even considering all the various and, in some case heroic attempts to "improve" the RCA with special locking features and all that, it's still a real piece of sh*t connector, and inherently so. In all the decades I have worked with both, I have NEVER had an XLR fail in situ due to things like atmospheric effects like corrosion, while even the best RCAs I have need to be wiggled and cleaned once or twice a year. -- +--------------------------------+ | Dick Pierce | | Professional Audio Development | +--------------------------------+ |
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#7
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"Harry Lavo" wrote in message ...
In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise. Quite true. One huge benefit of XLR's in live sound is ruggedness, plus it is of a size and shape that is easy to handle in the dark, and there is no chance of screwing up and plugging a delicate microphone into a high level output jack. There should be negligible sonic differences -- if an amplifier is a "wire with gain" then a connector is a "wire without gain." But the cost and size of XLR's has led to a search for alternatives, even in pro audio. A growing number of gadgets use 3 conductor 1/4 inch TRS connectors for balanced signals. I would think that a potential use for XLR's in high end home audio would be if your power amps are located remotely from your playback devices. |
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#8
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There is one difference that sometimes goes ignored. I believe the output
voltage of a preamp using XLR connectors is greater. One such example where the line output (xlr vs. rca) is different can be found in ARC preamps. I believe professional gear uses higher voltages too. "Dick Pierce" wrote in message ... "Harry Lavo" wrote in message ... In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise. Actually, not so. If nothing else, almost ANY otherb connector wins over RCA's be default, but some of the actual benenfits to XLRs include: 1. Superior mechanical engineering: XLRs have a positive locking feature, while RCA's depend (unreliably) on an imprecise friction fit for mechanical integrity. The mechanical/electrical integrity of the connections is not co-dependent on one another: RCA's, to work properly, must have all the surfaces mate with similar forces simultaneously: not so with XLRs. The only way to accomplish this on an RCA is to have the ground/shield be a slight conical profile while the signal pin is a sliding contact. This leads to the second issue: 2. XLR's are designed to have the shield/ground connect BEFORE the signal does: RCA's have no such design standard, and many, in fact, connect signal befor ground. THis is a direct consequence of the measures that must be taken, as mentioned above, to ensure mechanical integrity of the connection. Even considering all the various and, in some case heroic attempts to "improve" the RCA with special locking features and all that, it's still a real piece of sh*t connector, and inherently so. In all the decades I have worked with both, I have NEVER had an XLR fail in situ due to things like atmospheric effects like corrosion, while even the best RCAs I have need to be wiggled and cleaned once or twice a year. -- +--------------------------------+ | Dick Pierce | | Professional Audio Development | +--------------------------------+ |
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#9
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"Harry Lavo" wrote in message ...
In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise. An XLR connector as originally designed is a LOCKING connector; this has IMMENSE benefit in pro audio applications. |
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#10
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Doc Kaye wrote in message ...
There is one difference that sometimes goes ignored. I believe the output voltage of a preamp using XLR connectors is greater. One such example where the line output (xlr vs. rca) is different can be found in ARC preamps. I believe professional gear uses higher voltages too. Likewise, the input spec of the amp is affected. For example, for a ThetaDigital amp: (Single-ended) 1.5V RMS input for 100W into 8 ohms. (Balanced) 0.75V RMS input for 100W into 8 ohms. The input impedance can be affected. For example, for a Bryston SST amp: 50kOhms single ended, 20k Ohms balanced. For a CD player the output level (vrms) is different. Typically, 2.0 vrms for single ended, 4.0 vrms for balanced. Robert C. Lang |
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