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Audioquest Makenzie XLRs

I have the opportunity to purchase Audioquest cables at approx 40% below retail... 

I cant spend hundreds or thousands on cables.

Is there a better XLR cable for the money at the price point of $110 a pair than the Audioquest Makenzie?  110 is my cost.  Next up the line in AQ more than doubles my cost.... cant swing that much on ICs.

Gear consists of Marantz 7704, ATI 1807 Amp, B&W CDM 9NTs.
Not high end by any means but it's far better than what I had.

So .... is there a better cable for the money?
Seems AQ Makenzie is well reviewed and well designed.

Thoughts? Comments?  Assistance and advice is appreciated.
lightfighter2018
nrenter's avatar
nrenter
766 posts
 
In short, XLR isn't necessarily better. However, the ATI 2007 is a balanced amp, and the Marantz 7704 will output a balanced signal, so in this instance, I'd be inclined to try a balanced cable.

Not to complicate matters, but you'll want to verify the pin arrangement on the ATI 2007. According to page 43 of the Marantz 7704 manual...


A GND (Ground)

B HOT (+)

C COLD (–)


The PIN arrangement in this device uses the European method. In the USA method, B is COLD, and C is HOT.

When connecting a device that utilizes the USA type of PIN arrangement, replace the B and C plugs on one side of the balanced cable.


If the ATI 2007 is arranged with B as COLD, and C as HOT, you can always just refers (+) and (-) speaker connections to preserve polarity.

lightfighter2018 OP
86 posts
 
I will double check the pin outs. Thx.

Never realized there could actually be a difference.

How do I change the pins on an xlr cable?  Or are the pins switched on one end?  I thought XLR was a standard?
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

The professional balanced/XLR pin arrangement in the U.S.A. adheres to AES File 48:

Pin 1: Ground

Pin 2: Non-inverted signal

Pin 3: Inverted signal

That is how all pro equipment is wired (as well as consumer electronics designed by engineers who wish to conform to that standard, such as Atma-Sphere's Ralph Karsten, Music Reference's Roger Modjeski, and EAR-Yoshino's Tim de Paravicini), and how all pro audio cables are terminated.

In Europe, pins 2 & 3 are reversed.

nrenter's avatar
nrenter
766 posts
 
Just flip the speaker cables on the amp side (+) -> (-), and (-) -> (+) and leave the speaker cables on the speaker side (+) -> (+), and (-) -> (-). You can "fix" it through XLR cable modification, but then you'd be messing with perfectly good cables, and can solve the issue in a much simpler manner.

If we weren't having this conversation, you'd probably never know the difference if you didn't flip the polarity, but since you're on AudioGon, you're probably OCD like the rest of us. 
lightfighter2018 OP
86 posts
 
@nrenter

Thanks.

I am a bit OCD... :) esp now that I know there is difference in pin outs. Which I had not even considered would be a possibility.

I just didn’t want to mess up my gear somehow.

I didn’t think changing the pins on the cables would be that straight forward, I just ran across an article that said to change the pins.

Ok. So just so I understand:

amp end... black to red and red to black for all speakers.

speaker end... black to black and red to red for all speakers..

What effect if any will this have on sound quality and sound behavior?


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