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In Reply to: RE: Questions about balanced and unbalanced interconnects posted by Caucasian Blackplate on January 18, 2015 at 17:04:53
The idea of a 'cold leg' I have found frequently leads to confusion.
The idea with balanced line operation is to avoid putting signal current through the shield. The noise benefit is worthwhile even if the cable is only 6 inches. Length becomes irrelevant but the advantage is present in all lengths.
This is because the balanced line system is meant to get rid of interconnect cable artifacts in general. It is very effective at this if the standards are observed, which are often ignored in high end audio.
It is that latter point as to why there is still so much contention about this issue.
Follow Ups:
I think the real question you have to ask is whether these benefits are worthwhile if an input transformer is to be used to realize them.
I am actually an advocate for keeping things simple, as I suspect you are.
Where a transformer really works well is if you have a single-ended preamp, but have to run the cable a good long distance, something you can't do single-ended. Then a set of transformers at either end of the cable will be less colored than a single-ended cable of the same length with no transformers.
However, we don't use transformers in our gear and so can have a benefit even with very short runs. We've all heard differences between RCA-based cables and have often favored one over the other; often paid more for it. What if you could have the best cable made cost-no-object, but didn't have to pay the cost? That is what balanced line really offers.
DH Labs make shielded, directional, 'balanced' cables with RCA connectors, where (if I understand it right) the shielding is only attached to one end of the cable, and not the other, so that theoretically, you avoid ground loops because the shield is not in the circuit with the 'return' leg.
Is there a real benefit to this approach?
The advantage is that there is no signal current through the shield- the signal and ground get treated the same way, and the shield is merely shield.
Its not a perfect arrangement, but I would expect it to work a little better. We used to make interconnects in this manner many years ago back in the 1980s.
nt
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