balanced vs unbalanced

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elementsrtyte

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
hey is there actually a noticeable difference between unbalancced and balanced cables? I hear that balanced cables are louder and produce less noise, but I'm not sure if they actually produce a noticeable difference. If there is no noticeable difference, I might as well save the 80bucks by just using the unbalanced cables that I have.

thanks
 
J

jstatik

Guest
there is a difference between the 2. balance will give you a cleaner sound and is the setup you should go for. but, no matter what setup you do, you should keep it the same thru-out your setup, either all balance or all unbalanced.
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
Word, I believe there's better shielding inside the balanced cables if I'm not mistaken? If this is correct, this obviously results in less noise in your signal that can otherwise be picked up through the cables.
 

38th||

Beatmaker
ill o.g.
Yep, balanced lines are mostly used for long cable runs and are more expensive usually. I would guess that there isn't a noticeably difference because people typically use balanced lines to correct out-of-phase signals. I wouldnt use them unless my gear specifiacally called for it.
 

Formant024

Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
ehm^^^ balanced cables are also used to retain a high end signal..these days its cat5 for distances up to 500m with a gazillion channels of bandwidth. We measured signal loss and thd on mogami cables as they consider no change in signal on a length up to 2m but found loss of signal already upon 1m instead but was the best lenght/quality for our needs. We did this because we wanted to upgrade the least obvious items in our setup, cables and i/o on our gear. The result is more headroom so more detail in sound, more room for dynamics.
 

38th||

Beatmaker
ill o.g.
"because people typically use balanced lines to correct out-of-phase signals."

WRONG! WRONG and NOT EVEN CLOSE!

ok...so I meant interference instead of out of phase...but one is a product of the other. A balanced cable carries two signals that are 180 degrees out of phase from each other. When used with a balanced input they reduce hum, interference and other garbage...at least that's the way i understand it. No big deal. I still don't think he would hear a noticeable difference though.
 

thedreampolice

A backwards poet writes inverse.
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 21
its all good man, I was just jokin around. Any way, the wiki way

Balanced audio connections use a number of techniques to reduce noise.

A typical balanced cable contains two identical wires, which are twisted together and then wrapped with a third conductor (foil or braid) that acts as a shield.

The term "balanced" comes from the method of connecting each wire to identical impedances at source and load. This means that much of the electromagnetic interference will induce an equal noise voltage in each wire. Since the amplifier at the far end measures the difference in voltage between the two signal lines, noise that is identical on both wires is rejected. The noise received in the second, inverted line is applied against the first, upright signal, and cancels it out when the two signals are subtracted.

This differential signal recombination can be implemented with a differential amplifier. A balun may also be used instead of an active differential amplifier device.

The wires are also twisted together, to reduce interference from electromagnetic induction. Twisting makes the loop area between the conductors as small as possible, and ensures that a magnetic field that passes equally through adjacent loops will induce equal but opposite currents, which cancel out.

The separate shield of a balanced audio connection also yields a noise rejection advantage over an unbalanced two-conductor arrangement (such as used in typical home stereos) where the shield must also act as the signal return wire. Any noise currents induced into a balanced audio shield will not therefore be directly modulated onto the signal, whereas in a two-conductor system they will be. This also prevents ground loop problems, by separating the shield/chassis from signal ground.
 

thedreampolice

A backwards poet writes inverse.
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 21
To work at SW you have to pass 3 test's that take about 5+ hours to take. You also sit in a classroom for 3 months before you actually start your job. Its crazy intense. You must have an %80 or above to work there. I actually learned more in those three months than the last two years of Berklee.
 

Shonsteez

Gurpologist
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 33
Word. Sweetwater is a dope company tho. Not sure how it is to work for them, but as far as catalog and customer service those guys have it all and are the most knowledgeable sales people I've dealt with thus far. In comparison to someone say at Guitar Center the people ive talked to at SW are rocket scientists....
 
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