2. cables
  3. 138351-3674

Switched from RCA to XLR Interconnects - WOW

I just received a set of Pangea True Balanced Premier SE XLR interconnects from Audio Advisor and connected them between my phono preamp to my amp.
I really didn't expect to hear any major difference, but man was I wrong.  The sound quality is night and day improved over my previous cables (Clear Day Cables RCA cables).  The improvement in bass response is amazing, and the soundstage got about 2 feet wider and deeper.  Mids and highs are also more clearly defined, and the backgrounds are about as black as I have ever heard.   What also surprised me is how much hotter the signal is into the amp.  I had to turn the volume down quite a bit to equal levels I usually listed to with the previous cables.
FYI, the preamp is a Parasound JC3+ and the amp is a Lyngdorf TDAI-3400.  
I'm really impressed.  I had always wanted to try using balanced cables but this is the first amp I have owned that had balanced inputs.  
128x128snackeyp
fleschler
2,023 posts
 
I read it and agree concerning Digital and Headphone cabling.  I also agree with the engineering concepts of using balanced cabling;however, I have found that an overwhelming majority of balanced connections in high end audio are not balanced all the way through (or even partially) the devices and succumb to the same noise factors as unbalanced connections.  I use unbalanced connections and have more noise at the speaker than if I had (truly) unbalanced equipment and cabling.  So what?  The music at even low volume levels around 60 db sounds fantastic and the residual noise levels are not apparent even at the speaker.
fleschler
2,023 posts
 
EAR's designer Paravicini states that his equipment has balanced inputs and outputs but that is for convenience and not sound purposes.  His equipment is not designed as balanced throughout.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,876 posts
 
Paravacini uses transformers to create the balanced/XLR outputs in his EAR-Yoshino 868L pre-amp. If the power amp it feeds has only XLR inputs, the 868's balanced outputs (there are two pair, plus two pair of unbalanced/RCA outputs) are obviously the ones to use.
fleschler
2,023 posts
 
I own his 890 amp, 864 pre-amp, 324 phono and Acute CD player.  Only the Acute remains in the main system.  I heard balanced and single ended using the same cable other than the extra wire.  I heard no difference.  The transformer that creates the balanced XLR output is inconsequential sonically in my tests.  If the entire unit was designed as balanced, it should sound different.
keppertup
26 posts
 
With help from the work and advice of Steve Reeve, Joe Levy and Nelson Pass I have designed and built DIY “Ribbon XLR interconnects.”  The design consists of three 39” 11ga Teflon tubes layed out parallel 1” from each other and sandwiched between 32” of a folded over 4.5” of vinyl drawer liner, yielding a 2” wide ribbon with approximately 3.5” of tubing extending from each end.  3M 30FN contact cement is used to hold the assembly together.   24ga naked .999 pure silver wire is inserted into the tubes and soldered to the connectors.  The parts cost is under $35 for a one meter pair.  After 200 hours of break-in, I suggest you use these interconnects to compare single ended and commercially available XLR interconnects.
More to discover