I'm referencing this here for a look outside the consumer audio (for a bit of objectivity) partly because info in the residential is 'colored' by some of the interests selling gimmicks (profit centers) to us for home use that appeal to feelings or even superstitions about sound reproduction I keep reading in the threads. Not meant as a flame here.. just a lead to why some stuff just does not really work (beyond the psychological impact from our wish for more than or other than reality can offer us), yet we 'feel' that it has after we've invested dearly in it.

I think that you will find this brief article useful...

Residential vs. Commercial: Basic Audio Differences
Here are a couple audio differences between commercial and residential installs.

http://www.cepro.com/article/residen...m_medium=email

June 16 2009
By Fred Harding
Filed in: News, Fundamentals, Audio Sources, Commercial, Installation

"........
Differences in Pro/Consumer Gear

Let's start with the typical connection between a source and the amplifier.

Consumer equipment uses RCA connections, which are referred to as unbalanced. Essentially, this type of connection has a signal and a ground.

Pro gear uses a balanced style of connection, which has three connections:
A plus
A minus
A ground
The connectors can be an XLR style, a 0.25-inch TRS style or even a removable style of terminal strip.

The balanced connection and its signal have much better noise-rejecting characteristics than the unbalanced style. The signal cancels any noise that might be induced on the line.

A balanced signal also has the ability to go greater distances without noise and is transmitted at a higher level. If you compare the two signals, you'll find that consumer unbalanced signals are rated at -10 dB, and pro balanced signals are rated at +4 dB. That 14 dB difference is quite large. A 10 dB difference appears to be about twice as loud from loudest to quietest.

These factors need to be considered when deploying consumer products like preamps with professional-rated products like amplifiers. The pro amp is looking for a hotter signal than the consumer device is delivering. So, even though the pro amplifier has oodles of power, the system will sound very underpowered.

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Food for thought...