2. cables
  3. 180001-168313

Need 25 foot interconnects

I just moved around my equipment so that the rack with the preamp and digital sources is on the left side of the room and the monoblock amps are just behind the left speaker on a short platform on the floor.  I’m using a 15’ RCA interconnect right now, but want to move each monoblock to just behind each speaker — which means I need a longer cable.  The monoblocks are unbalanced RCA input only but my preamp can do balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA out.  Would a balanced XLR cable plus an XLR to RCA adapter work for this setup and be my best option?  Or should I just get a Belden (or similar) 25’ unbalanced RCA interconnect?  Or is there a better option?   

nymarty
perazzi28's avatar
perazzi28
227 posts
 

+1 for Kota1

I have a pair of 25' RCA interconnects with Mogami W2549 cable on Neutrik NF2CB RCA's (or a simpler less expensive execution would be to use Rean NYS352G RCA's).

Extremely pleased.

Good luck

ebm
9,311 posts
 

Stay away from XLR/RCA adapters as they will diminish sound quality.

ghdprentice
6,844 posts
 

@ebm 

 

+1

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

Stay away from XLR/RCA adapters as they will diminish sound quality.

@ebm ​​​​@ghdprentice how do we explain this from 3 weeks ago:

… Success.  No hum, no feedback, just a silent connection.  Sounds petty good, too, when playing music.  
…

nymarty OP
102 posts
 

@holmz  I think we’re all right.  Let me explain.  I set up the balanced cables out of my preamp (Schiit Freya +) and ran them to the Emotiva XLR to RCA converters to another short RCA interconnect to Belles Aria Monoblocks and, eureka, no hum,no noise, just music.  Then, about a week ago, I swapped out the amps for my McCormack DNA-1 with same cable setup. Not good. Audible hum coming from the speakers as soon as I turned on the amp.  Tried the same test with a Schiit Vidar amp and same result — audible hum.  I then swapped out the balanced cable  with adapter connector for a long RCA with an RCA-RCA connector to the original short RCA cable and no hum.  Just silence and just music.  
I don’t know what the Belles does that made it work with the XLR-RCA setup but I’m convinced now that I need to go with just a longer quality unbalanced RCA between preamp and amp.  (Or get a fully balanced amp.). Going to hold off on that for a while to play with some new to me speakers — Vandersteen 3A Sigs.

 

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