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XLR-RCA: Adapters or Custom Cable?

Greetings all!
I have a new Lavry DAC which will arrive shortly and I need to find a way to go from the balanced outs on the DAC to the unbalanced inputs on my integrated amp. There are of course two ways of doing this, using an XLR to RCA adapter such as the ones that Cardas makes or use a cable that has been built to go from XLR to RCA. In a singular cable this is a fairly rare item and although they exist I would expect that the resale would be difficult. Regardless of that point, I am wondering if I am safe using the adapters or if there will be real sonic benefits to using a single XLR-RCA cable. DIY would be a possibility although I would like to have something at least close to comparable to the Zen Silver Ref II cables that I am using in the rest of my system. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated...
audiojedi
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
Id call the manufacturers to get their opinion. YOu could do damage. Adapters alway ruin the sound...a custom made cable with RCA on one end and XLR on the other is just a longer adapter.
mechans
3,048 posts
 
Tighter than a (fill in the blank) Ass. Oh come on. That joke took a bit of creative effort. "that naturally die from overwatering" that's a killer. Gee what a tough crowd.
herman
2,256 posts
 
Which Lavry Dac do you have, some have SE outputs. Adapters do not "always ruin the sound." That is audiophile paranoia taken to the extreme. How can you make such a statement when you can't test it? If you can't use the DAC without an adapter how can you tell how it sounds without one?

If you are one who will sit and fret the whole time you are listening about what you might be missing by using an adapter then you should get a DAC with SE outputs. Otherwise get one and enjoy!

A balanced DAC has two output signals per channel. If properly designed they are exactly the same except one has inverted polarity. Feeding one of them to an SE input on your preamp will work just fine. You just need the proper adapter. Look at the link below. What do you have to lose? It will be $12 for 2 adapters. You could use one on either end of the cable but I think putting it at the DAC will be more solid and you won't have to buy a balanced cable.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/American-Recorder-Technologies-XLR-Female-to-RCA-Female-Adapter?sku=339513

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audiojedi OP
225 posts
 
Thanks for the responses(for the most part). The Lavry is a Black DA10 so it only has balanced outputs. Others have reported that the Cardas adapters work well so I may end up going that route. From a technical standpoint, having a single piece of cable would seem to have an advantage but if that advantage isn't really audible then it's of no concequence. That was really what I was trying to find out. At any rate, I'll just have to play around with it and see what works best.
kirkus
502 posts
 
The main thing that you should make sure that you get right is the wiring configuration of the adapter or cable . . . the characteristics of 'balanced' outputs aren't exactly standardized.

If the DAC has a transformer-coupled or "active floating" output, then pin 3 needs to be grounded. If it has an active symmetrical ground-referenced output, then pin 3 shouldn't be grounded, it should be left floating. In either of these cases, ground goes to pin 1 and the unbalanced output positive goes to pin 2 . . .

. . . unless of course if it's wired to European standard (or "pin 3 hot"). Then the above applies, but with pins 2 and 3 reversed.

If you're unsure, it's best to contact the manufacturer of the DAC for their connection recommendation, and make sure that your adapter or cable complies with it.
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