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RE: About differences between cables - RCAs vs. XLRs.

Posted by mitch2 (A) on April 19, 2015 at 06:51:27

In Reply to: RE: About differences between cables - RCAs vs. XLRs. posted by beppe61 on April 18, 2015 at 23:57:50:

I too do better with solid state components. I want great sound but I also want a minimum of hassle and concern. I want gear that can safely remain powered up all the time, both because IME all electronics sound better after warm-up, and also because my listening schedule is erratic and sometimes might be only for a half hour or so, although other times for longer. While this is mostly self-imposed because of other interests I am involved in, it does mean I do better with gear that doesn't take so much "care and feeding" as in warm-up, checking tubes, etc. I also want gear that is reliable and can be easily repaired, if necessary. At least I want manufacturers who are accessible to us in the USA and known for being responsive to their customers.

Currently, everything in my system can easily remain powered up with no worries about either safety or the gear itself. Of course, if I plan to leave for days, or in the event of thunderstorms, I do power things down. My current amps include a low power draw pair of Class D monoblocks and a large Class A/B heavy A bias McCormack (SMc modified) amp that has an outstanding automatic standby circuit that keeps things powered up at a very low bias and switches to full power when a signal is sensed at the inputs. This works very well.

I thought the Tom Evans Vibe was a great preamp (I ended up owning 5 different ones over the years) and even though I tried many tubed preamps (and a few solid state preamps) during that time period, I kept coming back to the TEAD Vibe. While basically an op-amp design, it was quite musical and enjoyable to listen to. The only minor nits were that, only compared to the very best I have heard, it was not quite as rich sounding and perhaps didn't convey the last word in bass slam.

What finally made me give that preamp up for good was a concern about repair options in the event I would ever need them (several have expressed problems shipping to England and dealing with TEAD) and also that my then Clayton Class A amps took only a balanced signal so I needed to use Jensen input transformers since the TEAD Vibe is single-ended and only has rca outputs.

I looked for a preamp that would simplify my concerns with the Vibe but still provide excellent sound and I finally found the McCormack TLC-1 passive/buffered preamp. To shorten that story, you can see more about my SMc modified TLC-1 Signature Edition on my system page. It is a buffered passive with no gain and has been completely rebuilt to a very high standard that approaches SMc's VRE preamp in sound quality. Working with the folks at SMc was a pleasure and the result betters over 20 high quality preamps I have had in my system. Although no gain, it outputs through high quality transformers and the bass is very powerful and defined. In every way, it is a joy to listen to.

So, back to your question, my Metrum DAC, SMc preamp, and both SMc DNA-2 LAE amp and Acoustic Imagery monos are fully balanced so running balanced cables was the natural way to go.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

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