RCA to XLR adapters

[anon4216120]

Simple question really…

Any suggestions please for some good adapters to take RCA to XLR?

Or, supplementary question, is it better to use complete RCA to XLR cables rather than adapter connected to a proper XLR/XLR cable?

[anon4489532]

Logically, it would be better to use a straight RCA to XLR cable rather than adding adaptors, simply because it eliminates unnecessary connections.

[Gazza]

Flashback cables are a good bet for decent sounding inexpensive cables.

[anon4216120]

I’ll have a browse on the flashback site. I was really after some cables using Mogami cable.

[Richard.Dane]

Are you talking about single ended XLR or balanced? If the latter, and a single need alternative connection is not available, you might want to consider adapters with single ended to balanced transfomers inside. What are the adapters to be used for?

[anon4216120]

This is for RCA out on a pre-amp to active speakers…

[Richard.Dane]

OK, well you may find that some kind of single-ended to balanced transformer is beneficial. IIRC, I think @Simon-in-Suffolk was discussing such an arrangement recently.

[Simon-in-Suffolk]

Small active speakers - suggestions

Anyone still interested, I have found using passive quality in line audio unbalanced to balanced converters made by Canford work exceedingly well… I use a very short Flashback 4 pin DIN lead to phono and connect to the Canford converters for the long balanced XLR runs… seems to make the 552 sound more like the 552 again…which I suspect is not otherwise optimally happy driving long unbalanced loads.

[anon4216120]

So, I’m curious, are the other users that are using simple DIN (or RCA) to XLR cables or converters essentially doing it wrong?

Not trying to be confrontational… just trying to understand. There seem to be a lot of forum users with simple cable/converters.

Are we talking of the product:
SONIFEX CM-ULX1 PRO-INTERFACE Passive, unbalanced RCA phono to balanced XLR

[Simon-in-Suffolk]

@anon4216120

So, I’m curious, are the other users that are using simple DIN (or RCA) to XLR cables or converters essentially doing it wrong?

It does depend on the equipment whether it will stress it or not by directly connecting unbalanced to balanced, or whether the balanced is true balanced or not… if true balanced the most likely issue will be increased noise floor, and possible grounding issues, but a likely overall compromise in performance.
This is why in the professional / commercial world one typically uses devices to connect unbalanced to balanced to provide an optimum performance connection, but if desperate and no other choice, you can often wire up directly as a stop gap / kludge, and if a short run may be less of an issue.

[anon4216120]

Cheers…

I’ve order some neutrik adapters which were recommended on a review for some ATC active speakers. Also ordered the aforementioned passive converter… for £139 it’s worth a punt. So I can do a proper back-to-back comparison. However, with the enforced quarantine, I’m not sure when the Sonifex will arrive