xlr vs. rca

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What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am
I confoozed?


Best,

Mark Allen Zimmerman * Chicago

 

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On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, markzimmerman@aol.com (MarkZimmerman)
wrote:

>What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am
>I confoozed?

RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio
gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight
connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen
body. There is a *world* of difference!

--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

 

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Stewart Pinkerton <patent3@dircon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<cj4bt10gd2@news1.newsguy.com>...
> On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, markzimmerman@aol.com (MarkZimmerman)
> wrote:
>
> >What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am
> >I confoozed?
>
> RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio
> gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight
> connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen
> body. There is a *world* of difference!

Is there suppose to be a difference sonically? Because in *most* cases
I can't tell the difference. In longer runs the XLR is defintely a hum
fighter when compared to the RCA connections. Of course, I always use
XLR professionally (my videography business) because you can't afford
to have an untimely disconnect as will happen with insecure RCA
connections. Besides all my video gear has only XLR for the main
connections, although there are RCA connections for monitoring
purposes.

But for my audio systems, over the years, as long as I keep my
interconnects short, and had no inherent hum problems, I have found
there was little or no difference in sound that I could readily detect
between RCA and XLR connections.

Also, I have found that some gear has some very high quality (visually
well constructed) RCA connections, while other gear could have cheaply
made XLR type connections.

Robert C. Lang

 

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"Robert C. Lang" <langvid@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:cjfi1901vi3@news1.newsguy.com...
> Stewart Pinkerton <patent3@dircon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:<cj4bt10gd2@news1.newsguy.com>...
> > On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, markzimmerman@aol.com (MarkZimmerman)
> > wrote:
> >
> > >What exactly is the difference between these two different termination?
Or, am
> > >I confoozed?
> >
> > RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio
> > gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight
> > connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen
> > body. There is a *world* of difference!
>
> Is there suppose to be a difference sonically? Because in *most* cases
> I can't tell the difference. In longer runs the XLR is defintely a hum
> fighter when compared to the RCA connections. Of course, I always use
> XLR professionally (my videography business) because you can't afford
> to have an untimely disconnect as will happen with insecure RCA
> connections. Besides all my video gear has only XLR for the main
> connections, although there are RCA connections for monitoring
> purposes.
>
> But for my audio systems, over the years, as long as I keep my
> interconnects short, and had no inherent hum problems, I have found
> there was little or no difference in sound that I could readily detect
> between RCA and XLR connections.
>
> Also, I have found that some gear has some very high quality (visually
> well constructed) RCA connections, while other gear could have cheaply
> made XLR type connections.
>
> Robert C. Lang

In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on
long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise.

 

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On 29 Sep 2004 23:55:21 GMT, langvid@pacbell.net (Robert C. Lang)
wrote:

>Stewart Pinkerton <patent3@dircon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<cj4bt10gd2@news1.newsguy.com>...
>> On 25 Sep 2004 15:09:29 GMT, markzimmerman@aol.com (MarkZimmerman)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >What exactly is the difference between these two different termination? Or, am
>> >I confoozed?
>>
>> RCA is a two-conductor coaxial connector used on most domestic audio
>> gear, while XLR is a professional grade shielded and locking gas-tight
>> connector with three, four or five pins, plus the external screen
>> body. There is a *world* of difference!
>
>Is there suppose to be a difference sonically?

Depends if balanced operation makes a difference.

> Because in *most* cases
>I can't tell the difference. In longer runs the XLR is defintely a hum
>fighter when compared to the RCA connections.

Quite so.

> Of course, I always use
>XLR professionally (my videography business) because you can't afford
>to have an untimely disconnect as will happen with insecure RCA
>connections. Besides all my video gear has only XLR for the main
>connections, although there are RCA connections for monitoring
>purposes.
>
>But for my audio systems, over the years, as long as I keep my
>interconnects short, and had no inherent hum problems, I have found
>there was little or no difference in sound that I could readily detect
>between RCA and XLR connections.

Agreed.

>Also, I have found that some gear has some very high quality (visually
>well constructed) RCA connections, while other gear could have cheaply
>made XLR type connections.

I guess that's a possiblity, as bad connections IME account for more
than 90% of reported sonic differences.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

 

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"Harry Lavo" <harry.lavo@rcn.com> wrote in message news:<cjfua802v3t@news1.newsguy.com>...

> In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on
> long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise.

Quite true. One huge benefit of XLR's in live sound is ruggedness,
plus it is of a size and shape that is easy to handle in the dark, and
there is no chance of screwing up and plugging a delicate microphone
into a high level output jack.

There should be negligible sonic differences -- if an amplifier is a
"wire with gain" then a connector is a "wire without gain."

But the cost and size of XLR's has led to a search for alternatives,
even in pro audio. A growing number of gadgets use 3 conductor 1/4
inch TRS connectors for balanced signals.

I would think that a potential use for XLR's in high end home audio
would be if your power amps are located remotely from your playback
devices.

 

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"Harry Lavo" <harry.lavo@rcn.com> wrote in message news:<cjfua802v3t@news1.newsguy.com>...
>
> In pro audio, the XLR is used mainly to prevent hum (as you point out) on
> long runs of microphone cable. Very little benefit otherwise.


An XLR connector as originally designed is a LOCKING connector; this
has IMMENSE benefit in pro audio applications.