Using XLR for Phono out

VPI arms can have either a junction box that accepts XLR cables, or one that accepts RCA's. If your equipment is REALLY balanced from input to output as Ayre stuff is, with no electronic trickery in the circuit to make the single ended circuit balanced, there will be a definite advantage in using balanced from cartridge to speakers. The difference is not subtle, if and only if you have the proper gear to accomplish this.

The type of plug does not determine whether a connection is balanced or not. I am using a "balanced" connection from my cart. to my fully differential phono pre. However, by choice, I am using RCA plugs. Why? XLR plugs fitted on my OL arm would not fit through the arm pod on my Nott. table. Balanced or single-ended is a function of the circuit topology, not the type of plug used.

Dear John, Can you cite me a reference for your statement that "transformers have some of the highest CMRR ratings"? This might be true if a transformer is properly implemented at the front end of a balanced circuit. But when transformers are used at the in- or output of an SE circuit, as is often the case, I don't see how you would get any CMR.

Am I missing something here, still? What pray tell, is the use of putting a balanced (xtr) connector on the end of a cable from a cartridge/tonearm when in fact the signal coming from it is single ended (rca) in every case? Is not this a wasted effort?

Happy Holidays & Listening!

R_f_sayles, almost all phono cartridges are balanced sources. Many arms are too. The signal is converted from balanced to single-ended usually in the way the RCA cables are connected to the arm. That is why there is that weird grounding wire that other single-ended sources seem to lack.

For this reason you can operate a phono completely balanced, and if you have a balanced preamp and amp, the signal can be balanced from needle to speaker. In our systems, that means a total of 4 stages of gain, so the signal path is actually simpler than many single-ended setups. The cables sound better (its a common myth that you don't need balanced unless you have long cables but the real reason for balanced lines is to eliminated interconnect cable artifacts) and there are blacker backgrounds... IOW there are immediate benefits.