XLR Turntable

A turntable is a passive device. It has nothing to do with signal processing or amplification. Same goes for a tonearm. If you want to operate in balanced mode, you simply connect your cartridge to any suitable phono stage that incorporates balanced circuitry. Nearly all cartridges can deliver a balanced signal, if connected to a balanced phono stage such that the “ground” pins from the cartridge carry instead the negative phase of the signal. By convention the “hot” pins carry the positive phase. Positive goes to pin 2 of an XLR. Negative phase to pin3. Pin 1 is for chassis ground but the phono signal floats.

https://www.google.com/search?q=turntable+with+xlr+output&sca_esv=584907651&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1072US1072&ei=rJRfZafFOeaIptQP9bmE0AQ&ved=0ahUKEwiny--S29qCAxVmhIkEHfUcAUoQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=turntable+with+xlr+output&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGXR1cm50YWJsZSB3aXRoIHhsciBvdXRwdXQyCxAAGIAEGIoFGJECMgsQABiABBiKBRiGAzILEAAYgAQYigUYhgMyCxAAGIAEGIoFGIYDMgsQABiABBiKBRiGA0iTaFDAEliWZnADeACQAQCYAaQBoAGHEqoBBDAuMTe4AQPIAQD4AQHCAgoQABhHGNYEGLADwgIIEAAYgAQYogTCAgoQIRigARjDBBgKwgIHECEYoAEYCsICBRAhGKABwgIKECEYFhgeGA8YHeIDBBgAIEHiAwUSATEgQIgGAZAGCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

Looks like Project and Teac offer xlr outputs.

So, if you already own a balanced phono stage, you would remove the RCA plugs from your phono cables. Then solder the bare lead that was connected to the center plug of the RCE to pin2 of an XLR. The bare lead that was connected to the outer barrel or ground of the RCA would connect to pin3 of the XLR. If the RCA cable has a shield, connect the shield to pin1. It is best if your RCA uses separate conductors for hot and ground where ground is distinct from the shield. This scenario holds where the cable runs direct from the cartridge pins or from a DIN plug or from an outboard box.

What rdk77 shows may be true for the turntables mentioned but gives the false impression that you need to buy a “balanced turntable” to operate in balanced mode. That’s total BS.

@dunham_john 

What do you mean by "balanced"?