XLR question

[blackraven]

Does it pay use XLR connections from your preamp to amp if your connection from your DAC to the preamp is not balanced? I have heard to reap the benefits of a truly balanced system that every connection needs to be balanced. I only ask because I am looking for a new preamp to go along with my Pass amp. I am leaning to the Pass X1 but I would like to keep tubes in my system and most of the tube preamps (CJ, BAT, Thor Audio) that I am looking at are single ended or use only XLR in and outs. My current DAC is only single ended.

[Feanor]

Does it pay use XLR connections from your preamp to amp if your connection from your DAC to the preamp is not balanced? I have heard to reap the benefits of a truly balanced system that every connection needs to be balanced. I only ask because I am looking for a new preamp to go along with my Pass amp. I am leaning to the Pass X1 but I would like to keep tubes in my system and most of the tube preamps (CJ, BAT, Thor Audio) that I am looking at are single ended or use only XLR in and outs. My current DAC is only single ended.

I suspect that benefits will be greatest when the system is balanced front-to-back, there is still a very significant benefit having balanced preamp and power amp. If the power amp is fully balance, then fully balanced preamp input will help.

Look at it this way: most power amps are push-pull which means + and - operation at least in the output stage of operation. A single-ended input must be converted to balanced at some point in the operation of the amp; amps optimized for balanced operation will take a balanced input from the preamp and use it directly without needing that conversion process.

A fully balanced preamp will need to convert a single-ended input from source to balanced; this is usually done at the input stage so the subsequent amplification and output stages are fully balanced with the lower noise and maybe, depending on the design, lower distortion possible in case of internal balanced operation -- and of course, provided balanced output to the advantage of power amps optimized for balanced input.

[blackraven]

Thanks Bill. I also emailed Pass Labs a short while ago and received a reply in 20 minutes. The tech said that even with the input from my DAC being single ended that every thing would be balanced. One of my concerns about the Pass X1 preamp that I was looking at is that it only has 2 outputs, 1 XLR and the other being single ended. Both can be used at the same time and they are isolated from one another, so I can hook up my sub to the single ended outputs and the amp to the XLR.

I think that I am going to pull the trigger on the X1. There is a BAT and an ARC preamp for sale that I want but they only have XLR connections. The CJ's that are for sale are only single ended.

Here is the BAT that I am looking at-

Product Review

And here is the Thor preamp-

Thor Audio TA 1000 tube preamp

[Jack in Wilmington]

That's funny, I know where the guy lives that is selling the BAT pre. It's about 5 minutes from my house.

[blackraven]

That's funny, I know where the guy lives that is selling the BAT pre. It's about 5 minutes from my house.

Jack, can you buy it for me

[Jack in Wilmington]

Jack, can you buy it for me

Yeah, but you can't open it till Christmas morning.

[Feanor]

Thanks Bill. I also emailed Pass Labs a short while ago and received a reply in 20 minutes. The tech said that even with the input from my DAC being single ended that every thing would be balanced. One of my concerns about the Pass X1 preamp that I was looking at is that it only has 2 outputs, 1 XLR and the other being single ended. Both can be used at the same time and they are isolated from one another, so I can hook up my sub to the single ended outputs and the amp to the XLR.

I think that I am going to pull the trigger on the X1. There is a BAT and an ARC preamp for sale that I want but they only have XLR connections. The CJ's that are for sale are only single ended.

Here is the BAT that I am looking at-

Product Review

And here is the Thor preamp-

Thor Audio TA 1000 tube preamp

I doubt you can go wrong with the X1 though only two inputs is a bit of a limitation.

Personally I'd like to hear my Pass with a tube preamp. My ARC LS9 solid state is very nice: clean & dynamic but it doesn't filter over-bright highs -- nor does the X150.5. Verus the ARC preamps, the BAT are supposed to be a bit warmer and darker, so personally I'd be inclined to start there.

You can get RCA to XLR adaptors or "hybrid" cables: I suspect they jump the #1 (ground) and #3 (negative) XLR pins. Or you can make you own cables, as I did, also jumping those pins. You'll get 6 dB less gain on account of having only the "push" circuit but that's not usually a problem.