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Cal Audio Labs CL-15

Can the Cal CL-15 player be rigged having both the balanced and RCA outputs hooked up simultaneously? Which is to say, have both XLR ICs and RCA ICs hooked up via its two sets of outputs (though of course only running one set at any given time)? My model has both outputs.

There was nothing covering this in the manual.

Here's why:

I've found two sets of interconnects I like tremendously--both RCA. The Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval is wonderful for choral music--sweet, radiant.. But it's too relaxed and ends up sounding dull on symphonic music. The Atlas Titans, on the other hand, are fabulous for orchestral music--fast, detailed, dynamic, exciting. But they are badly edgy on choral music and somewhat so on opera. They do strings, timpani, brass, and woodwinds great. Though I've heard that Audioquest Anaconda and Audience Au24 might be good middle-ground ICs, I haven't auditioned them and pretty much have given up on finding a single pair of ICs that will give me excellent performance on these two different kinds of listening. Therefore, I've come up with the notion of running two different sets of ICs from the same source.

If I could run both of them out of the Cal player (I can get the AP ICs specially terminated with XLR connectors on one end, RCA on the other; or I can run it with a set of Cardas XLR adapters on one end) to my PrimaLuna amp, I'd have both interconnect options available to me in one player.

But the fundamental question remains--will I fry the Cal player if I do this double-hookup? I'd like to hear from others with more experience before I try it and risk damaging my wonderful old player.
128x128bblilikoi
jameswei
883 posts
 
It should be OK. Check to verify the Prima Luna's input impedance is much higher than the output impedance of the CL-15. It should be so much greater that cutting it in half this way would still result in a big difference. This prevents the double connection you propose from demanding too much current from the CL-15, which would otherwise affect the sound and maybe the circuitry. (--Just like a speaker with too low an impedance starts to look like a short circuit to the amp.)

I would recommend avoiding the retermination of the APCs, because this may change the electrical characteristics and hence the sound, which you like as-is. Instead, consider a Y-splitter at the CL-15. You can buy cheap ones from Audio Advisor or Radio Shack; or, I have bought custom Y-splitters from Cardas on special order. (These are not cheap.)

I have employed both approaches with good results. In one system, I have a Mark Levinson 390s driving a Pass Aleph 3 and a powered subwoofer (Sunfire), using a Y-splitter. In another system, I have the XLR outputs of a Sony SCD-1 going directly to a line level preamp and the RCA outputs of the SCD-1 going to a Manley Steelhead's line level input (so I can enjoy the sound of the SCD-1 through the Manley's line stage). Both work fine.
tripper
223 posts
 
The CAL Delta transport has 3 outputs, and the manaul specifically says all three are isolated and may be used simultaneously. I don't know if CAL extended this thinkng to other products or not. My guess is you are good to go with the caveat of cable retermination as James mentions.
bblilikoi's avatar
bblilikoi OP
99 posts
 
I tried hooking up a pair of XLR ICs and a pair of RCAs out of both sets of outputs from the CL-15, but the preamp of my integrated amp, an Electrocompaniet ECI 3, may be shutting down the RCA input circuits. I'll try it on the PrimaLuna Prologue One amp next. That's the primary focus anyway, but the Cal player has been in the other system and it was convenient to start there.
bblilikoi's avatar
bblilikoi OP
99 posts
 
Jameswei--

The PrimaLuna One's input impedance is 100k ohms, Input sensitivity 300mV. Viz.

Description: Single-box line-level tube preamplifier and push-pull tube power amplifier. Tube complement: two each 12AX7A, 12AU7, EL34. Inputs: 4 single-ended. Output power: 35Wpc into 8 ohms (15.4dBW). Voltage gain: 20dB. Output impedance: 4 or 8 ohms. Frequency response: 20Hz–30kHz, ±0.5dB. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Input sensitivity: 300mV.

The CL-15's output impedance is 50 ohms (usable into passive controller).

Does this seem doable? The P'Luna's impedance is listed in kilo-ohms, while the CL-15's impedance is given in ohms. My newbie's provisional conclusion, then, is that there should be plenty enough of difference still.

However, one logical question--which component's impedance will be cut by half? Your language suggests it will be the P'Luna's, but my beginner's mind says it will be the CL-15's. If this is the case, then there may be too huge a difference created by the double hook-up, dropping the CL-15's output impedance by so much that the signal coming in from at least one of the outputs of the CL-15 will look to the P'Luna like a short. This happened with the ECI 3 amp already, although I realize I'm speaking hypothetically with regard to the P'Luna. I still haven't tried it.
jameswei
883 posts
 
Bblilikoi -- Based on your numbers, I think either of the contemplated hookups should be OK. The CL-15's 50 ohm output would normally be looking at a single 100,000 input on the PrimaLuna. This is a high ratio of 2000-to-1, quite satisfactory. If you double the number of inputs used on the PrimaLuna, you are doubling the current required from the CL-15, or cutting in half the impedance presented to the CL-15 by the PrimaLuna. The result would be equivalent to a still-quite-high 1000-to-1 ratio. Should be fine.

The Electrocompaniet may have had a sensor relay that chose the XLR input, shutting down the RCA. It sounds like both the XLR and RCA were plugged in to the same input source selection (e.g., "Source #3," which would have both XLR and RCA sockets), in which case the preamp would be forced to choose one and mute the other. To avoid this in the future, try using different input source selections if possible (e.g., "Source #3" for XLR and "Source #4" for RCA). Good luck.
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