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When to choice XLR over RCA ICs.

If your IC connections are 1m or less is there a difference between using XLR over RCA Interconnects?

As one moves up the ICs cable lines with a manufacturer (ex. Audioquest) which connections would you upgrade first and in what order.

My system is McIntosh (C12000 two part preamp, Men220 room equalizer, MC611 mono-amps), Audioquest (AQ) Niagara 5000 line conditioner, and Hi-Fi Rose 150b streamer. 

I am currently using AQ Black Beauty XLR ICs. I have a pair of 1m Firebird RCA ICs and would like to replace one of the Black Beauty ICs in system configuration. Future upgrades looking for recommendations. 

Presently using a AQ 2m Thunder 20A power cord from wall socket to Niagara. 

Using 4ft AQ William Tell (Silver) bi-wire combo speaker cable (mono-amps to 800d3 speakers. 

Thank you, Please advise.

Bob

128x128farne230
68pete
1,004 posts
 

Make sure what they are running between is all so balanced. Just because a unit has XLR imputes or out puts does not mean it's balanced when running XLR cables between real balanced gear has alway sounded better  to me than single ended.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,365 posts
 

What @cleeds said

but you have to listen to determine what is best for you in your system 

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,454 posts
 

The only way to know for sure is to try whatever wires you have as many ways as possible.

Having said that, I am not a fan of trying to tune a system with wires in most cases. XLR done properly should always be the best way to go technically when available then tweak elsewhere from there as needed.

vinylshadow
504 posts
 

Max Townshend told me that RCA's are the way to go over XLR's because RCA's give "pure sound". That the additional circuitry in XLR's detract from the pure sound..However if you are dealing with longer cable runs, XLR's are the sensible choice. 

kraftwerkturbo
332 posts
 

Why is it that some (all?) component manufacturers design XLR with a few dB more than the RCA outputs? 

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