Re: OT: Unbalanced connections sound much better than balanced, any idea why?

[Richard Sales <richard@glasswing.com>]

Could there be a different pinout?  1 (shield) is always ground, 2 (tip) is usually hot, but in the old days folks would sometimes have pin 3 (normally the ring) hot - like Otari (reel to reels).  But I don't think that would explain what you're experiencing.  

Maybe the Focusrite or the speaks are not really balanced?  IN fact, Otaris were sometimes not balanced back in the day, even though they had XLR connectors etc.

Check your manuals for a wiring diagram.

I can't imagine new cables being that off. 

Were the cables all the way in?

It's always best to make your own cables if you can.  Good Belden 9451 or whatever it is (or better Canari or Mogami), Switchcraft or Neutrik connectors.  Takes some practice, but over time you save a lot of $$$ and headaches with cheese cables. And... you don't have the nightmare of a 15 foot cable when all you need is 2 feet! (sorry - old fart still catching up on metric.)

Richard

On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 5:38 PM, David Messenger <mssngr1@pacifier.com> wrote:

There are always differences in the way cables sound, no matter what anti-audiophile biased folks tend to say. I'd try a little better cable than the monoprice cables just to see if there is a difference.....

I use monoprice in my PC stuff, but I'd try something a little better for audio, balanced or unbalanced.

D.

On 4/14/2014 4:30 PM, Art Simon wrote:

This a weird, off topic question, but I've got a Focusrite 2i4 audio interface that I initially connected to my M-Audio CX8 powered monitors with 1/4" TRS balanced cables using the balanced connections on the Focusrite and the speakers. The sound was disappointing, lacking both top end and bottom end.

It didn't occur to me to try the the unbalanced connections on the Focusrite and the speakers until just the other day, and the difference is startling. Much punchier and deep bass, crisper highs. There is a little bit of digital hash from computer interference, but I'll live with it for now because the sound is so much better.

Any theories on the difference? I've got cheap monoprice 1/4" TRS cables, but I'd be surprised if that's the difference.

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Art Simon
simart@gmail.com

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richard sales
www.glasswing.com