Vandersteen 5 and 5A owners

Part of my inquiry stems from the fact that I recently had my McCormack DNA-225 upraded to Platinum status by Steve McCormack. As part of the upgrade, XLR inputs and upgraded RCA inputs were added. My Vandersteen 5's are equipped with the balanced XLR-type high-pass filters.

Side Bar: Does everyone's filters at the amp end feature the Audioquest Amazon cable? And, does anyone consider that a limitation visa vis the IC you are using between the linestage/preampand the filters?

I am in the market for a tube or passive linestage to mate with the DNA-225. I could "limit" myself to a linestage with balanced outputs, or consider single-ended, as well. If I go single-ended output, I would require single-ended high-pass filters, however, and would likely seek a filter with a discrete 10KOhm setting to match the input impedance of the DNA-225, thereby dispensing with the dip switch arrangement altogether. As such, I was wondering the experience of others using the XLR or RCA filters.

Machine's comments are very interesting given that Bob Crump recommends using the balanced connections with the JC-1. Yet, Machine reports excellent results using RCA. Interesting because I was also giving consideration to a CJ linestage in my system.

To add to 4yanx last comment, I can't tell a difference between XLR and RCA connections with my fully-balanced Classe CP50 preamp and McIntosh 7200 amp. I used to be disappointed that CJ didn't use XLR but at this point, I think it doesn't really matter. Perhaps if the interconnects have to be 40 feet long it would. Arthur

4yanx, I have heard both the 5 and 5A using both rca and XLR, but the differences in other components and rooms would more than mask this difference. I haven't had the opportunity to A/B just that change in a single system and single listening session for comparison.

However, my dealer has experimented with both setups, and on very high quality equipment finds the difference very slightly in favor of XLR. That being said, he doesn't hesitate to recommend either.

I ended up with an all balanced rig, mostly because I believed the all balanced configuration makes good technical sense, and the components I bought support it.

I suspect you would be thrilled either way.

Zargon, I have followed your comments regarding Vandy speakers and they have always been rather spot-on, from my subsequent experience. What are your feelings regarding the AQ cabling on the high-pass filters and issues with pairing IC's in a configuration which goes linestage-"X" Brand IC-Filter-AQ Amazon IC-Amp?

I had the opportunity to have the RCA filters in my system temporarily, but the speakers were new so I can't give a meaningful comparison to the XLR filters. My 5A XLR filters currently have AQ Sky as the pigtails. I run a 1 meter pair of AQ Sky from my EMM DCC2 to the filters. I find the AQ Sky to be an absolutely incredible interconnect. I used the logic of trying to keep the interconnects the same for the input signal to the filter and what is output. Additionally, adding AQ Kilimanjaro Shotgun bi-wire speaker cables made another tremendous improvement in combintion with the SKY interconnects. I spoke to AQ regarding the SKY pigtails and they said they are also biased through the battery in the high pass filters. I had inquired about adding the DBS system to the pigtails and that was their answer. A couple of guys at AQ use 5As as their reference for evaluating their cables so maybe that is why I'm finding they are such a synergistic match with the 5As.