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In Reply to: RE: Atkinson re Ayre C5xe posted by John Atkinson on May 11, 2014 at 12:19:18
Thanks fro your reply, John. I think I'll keep looking for that $2500+ C5xe-mp. Its analog output would go through a Parasound JC-2 preamp to Proceed HPA amps that drive KEF 107/2 speakers. It may replace a Sony XA5400ES or be an alternate source for stereo (an Oppo 105 does mch).
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Does the Ayre C5xe-mp sound better via balanced or single-ended, or does it matter which is used? The Parasound JC-2 has 2 balanced inputs, one of which is used by the JC-3 phono stage. I think I prefer the sound of the Sony XA5400ES connected via single-ended; I don't hear a difference with the Oppo between balanced and single-ended. The Sony is connected to one of the balanced inputs, but is usually switched to a single-ended input.
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If you didn't hear a difference using the Oppo's balanced and unbalanced inputs there's something definitely wrong. My 105 sounds a LOT louder via the balanced inputs and that sure complicates the comparison
I think the Parasound JC-2 may pad the balanced inputs so you don't have to change level when you go from balanced to single-ended. Oppo claims there is no difference except balanced is 6 dB hotter. When I switch from one to the other while playing a disc, I see the light for the input change but the music sounds continuous. That's definitely not the case when I do that with the Sony.
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And here I'm using the Oppo's balanced outs just to equalize the gain between it and my other source components :-)
Well, not entirely because I've always preferred to use balanced cables when possible. But in my case (into an Aesthetix Calypso linesteage), the gain from the Oppo's RCA outputs is way lower than from other sources. Strange, and I didn't encounter this anomaly when using earlier Oppo players Maybe it's the fact the mine is the Modwright 105 with its tubed output and separate tubed power supply.
I think Oppo specifies the voltage for balanced as twice that for single ended, so you might expect the level to be 6 dB higher. If all your other connections are XLR, then you might expect SE level to need boosting.
I've previously used balanced cables, but the speakers I use, KEF 107/2s, are designed to work with a KEF KUBE that is not balanced, so I switched to SE cables from LA Pro Audio that have connectors that seem unusually secure for SE cables. The noise floor remained inaudible within an inch of the drivers, so SE works fine in my setup.
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