chicagoemo
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Post by chicagoemo on May 1, 2010 7:47:02 GMT -5
I know that the ERC 1 has balanced XLR connections; however, does anyone know if it's a truly balanced piece?
Steve
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Lonnie
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Post by Lonnie on May 1, 2010 10:18:53 GMT -5
I know that the ERC 1 has balanced XLR connections; however, does anyone know if it's a truly balanced piece? Steve Yes, it is. ;D |
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chicagoemo
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Post by chicagoemo on May 1, 2010 10:54:48 GMT -5
Thanks Lonnie. I'm not surprised!
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on May 1, 2010 17:19:47 GMT -5
Is that really true?  * But then, you'll need a truly balanced pre/pro to truly benefit from that. ...And then, the amp too... |
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chicagoemo
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Post by chicagoemo on May 1, 2010 18:17:11 GMT -5
I have the XPA 2, which I understand is truly balanced. And the pre is also truly balanced. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about the Emo amps....
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on May 2, 2010 2:37:18 GMT -5
I have the XPA 2, which I understand is truly balanced. And the pre is also truly balanced. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about the Emo amps.... I thought that only the XPA-1 was truly fully Balanced! * Which pre/pro is truly fully Balanced? |
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chicagoemo
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Post by chicagoemo on May 2, 2010 9:16:49 GMT -5
Lonnie, please chime in ... is the XPA 2 a truly balanced unit?
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Lonnie
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Post by Lonnie on May 2, 2010 9:41:39 GMT -5
Lonnie, please chime in ... is the XPA 2 a truly balanced unit? No, the XPA-1 is the only one that is fully differential from in to out. All of the other amplifiers that have balanced inputs get converted to un-balanced internally becuase they are single ended designs. |
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chicagoemo
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Post by chicagoemo on May 2, 2010 10:07:01 GMT -5
OK Lonnie then is their any advantage to using XLR vs. RCA cable with the XPA 2?
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Post by MukAudio on May 2, 2010 21:07:16 GMT -5
muhahahaha, this is excellent news. The XSP-1 will be fully balanced, so add one of those, and a pair of XPA-1s, and I'll be rocking fully balanced all the way through.
Stupid question, is it possible (or even desirable) to have a balanced digital connection? I ask because the Emo DAC will be coming out soon and it is a tempting piece.
Mark.
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on May 2, 2010 21:23:14 GMT -5
muhahahaha, this is excellent news. The XSP-1 will be fully balanced, so add one of those, and a pair of XPA-1s, and I'll be rocking fully balanced all the way through. Stupid question, is it possible (or even desirable) to have a balanced digital connection? I ask because the Emo DAC will be coming out soon and it is a tempting piece. Mark. Hey Mark, that is very system dependent. In most cases I'd say NO. But if all your components are truly fully Balanced from Input to Output, then I'd use XLR connections.  |
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Post by MukAudio on May 2, 2010 22:52:02 GMT -5
Hey Mark, that is very system dependent. In most cases I'd say NO. But if all your components are truly fully Balanced from Input to Output, then I'd use XLR connections. Well, going from the ERC-1 to the Emo DAC, you'd be going out digital. Is there a digital XLR? Mark. |
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on May 4, 2010 1:42:17 GMT -5
^ You got me on that, but my guess is Yes.  ...Balanced digital connections? Perhaps No! |
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Post by kellys on May 4, 2010 22:30:34 GMT -5
The primary reason for differential analog audio signals is to cancel out noise. This isn't really an issue with digital, where you are more concerned about jitter.
There is a form of low voltage differential signalling used for high frequency digital signals (some video links and high speed computer serial data).
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NorthStar
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Post by NorthStar on May 4, 2010 23:38:36 GMT -5
^ That's right; in that case you want a digital jitter-free link! Like some Denon & Pioneer Elite models. |
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Post by solidstate on Jun 3, 2010 14:46:58 GMT -5
It's important to understand that XLR is a cable connector type and not a signaling standard. Theoretically you could use XLRs for a single ended connection if you so desired and it was pinned out to a -10 dBv input/output. As for "digital XLR" yes they are used for digital audio connections using a standard called AES/EBU. Really as connectors go it's about the best out there due to it's electrical properties. It spawned a connector empire in ITT Canon with James Cannon as the inventor. Historically it's been used for MIDI, all the line level standards, balanced audio, digital AES/EBU and even speaker level. It's only failing is the size of it. It's density is so poor that even a handfull of these connectors on the backplate of a piece consumes some major PCB space and I/O space. It's siblings and ITT Canon's line card include ancestors that are used in Aerospace and industrial industries. I have catalog of the entire linecard including the aerospace stuff NASA et all use (about a 1/4 the size of Encyclopedia Britannica LOL). It's a fantastic connector and a shame we are all stuck using RCAs. Heck even BNC is better and terminates closer to ohm spec than RCA. I believe it's impossible for an RCA to be 75ohms where as BNC due to it's electrical properties has no problem.
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Post by solidstate on Jun 8, 2010 14:24:22 GMT -5
The primary reason for differential analog audio signals is to cancel out noise. This isn't really an issue with digital, where you are more concerned about jitter. There is a form of low voltage differential signalling used for high frequency digital signals (some video links and high speed computer serial data). This noise could also come from the DAC PCB no? It's my understanding that all the high-end DACs have a differential output. I believe that AD1955 only has a differential output. There is a reason they are all differential dude. Just because it starts as digital doesn't mean that when it becomes analog that the circuitry of the DAC PCB etc couldn't have a detrimental affect. I'm not sure how this relates to I/V conversion as I'm no engineer and 90% of this is over my head. A Balanced to Single-Ended Converter is used to provide single ended output. I believe the OPA2134 is also differential. So the Ballsie circuit is in the last stage after the opamp. I'm a pure hobbyist and I'm no expert here but this is what I think is happening on the ERC-1. The new XDA-1 DAC doesn't use an opamp IC at all but Lonnie's own descrete opamp. This should make a marketable improvement over an opamp IC. This is also why I posted about the Dexxa DX2010 because if it can drop into the ERC-1 this would give it an output stage on par or close to the new DAC. It would be a marvelous upgrade to the ERC-1 for obvious technical reasons. How many are needed on the ERC-1 or compatibility I don't know. |
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...Balanced digital connections? 
