Audio Hygiene 5: Balanced or single ended interlinks?

[@ProjectOverseer]

Beautifully simplified illustrated description - clever too. Hans 👍 In the studio everything is balanced/shielded and the mains is star-earthed. The audible improvements are very marked.

[@rotaks1]

Best explanation of XLR on the internet!

[@louisbaten4232]

Perfectly explained!

[@bradstone2603]

I built a second shelving system for my cables behind my main shelves for the components, it keeps all of the different cables away from each other, the power cables are away from the interconnects are away from the speaker cables, this has the added benefit of keeping the speaker cables off of the ground.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

👍🏼

[@dreddguy6454]

Dear Hans. You touched on opamps in this video. I would be very interested in your take on discrete vs chip opamps.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

As always it's not the topology but the way it is implemented.

[@ar_xiv]

Balanced audio in my opinion is really a need/don't need scenario. If you know you need XLR, you probably need it. If you are unsure if you need it, you probably don't. I never knew about the doubling of components with the positive and negative ends of the signal, that was very interesting to learn.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

You need balanced interconnects if it sounds better! Not to feel better.

[@lobagx]

Thanks a lot for your interesting videos, I have learn a lot in the last days from you. I just ordered a Minidsp SHD, I know you have the studio versión. But el you know if the xlr output no the SHD is trully balanced, I will conect it to a Krell KAV 300i. Thanks again, I admire your sincere way to explain audio things. Sorry for my English, greetings from Argentina.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

Sorry no, I don’t

[@jonathanmatthew5631]

Will using XLR still be worth it if the amplifier is not a truly differential balanced amplifier?

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

That depends a bit on how it is implemented. But it will never be equal to true balanced.

[@showstopperrob1097]

Very intresting video's you have Hans. Been watching a lot of them but I allso do have a question. Do you allso have a video about a power cleaning divice or simple say a netfilter? If not, is it usefull to have one? This because a lot is going over the powernet e.g. internet. Think it allso influensing the sound. Many thanks for answer.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

Local power grids differ as does the local legislation on use of the power grid. So I won't review power conditioners.

[@martijnbos9873]

What is your opinion on balanced headphone cables? I understand that balanced headphone cables have different advantages. Curious to hear your thoughts.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

I don’t listen to headphones so I can’t have an opinion on balanced cables. Sorry.

[@clivestevens3547]

Another great video. One question have you ever reviewed a Sony amplifier? I've seen alot of people love the sound of Sony av receivers eg (str dn 1070/1080).

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

I don't review amplifiers unless they have something to do with streaming, room correction or Roon. I have to draw the line somewhere.

[@mariosupa4027]

Excellent video Hans I'm in the process of attaining a separate Dac I'm strongly leaning towards the PS Audio DirectStream. Do you know if it's completely balanced and if you've had a chance to review it ?

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

I didn’t review it. Sorry.

[@mariosupa4027]

The DirectStream has balance XLR out as well my question is if it's completely balanced from start to finish ?

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

I have not reviewed it so I don’t know. Sorry.

[@Centrist01]

@@mariosupa4027 Under the Features tab, the PS Audio DirecStream DAC is "Fully balanced from input to output". It was wise of you not to assume a product is truly balanced just because it offers balanced inputs/outputs.

[@QoraxAudio]

The only two things I learned from this is: that single ended is another term for unbalanced and that the helm of boats is connected to two cables haha Years ago, back when I was into DJing and I found out that the semi-professional and prosumer equipment also has a type of balanced inputs and outputs. Those are XLR connections that say balanced, meaning that they are compatible with a balanced signal, but they don't actually process the balanced signal. When I found out, I looked up schematics which all showed that the negative (-) was connected to ground. This basically results in using the positive side of the balanced signal as an unbalanced signal. I think this "balanced compatibility" is misleading, it should be forbidden to call it balanced.

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

I agree

[@tigertiger1699]

👍🙏

[@error079]

Hans, what is your opinion on preamplifier? Is it needed with say a DAC with varible output? What flawor?: passive potetiomiter, transformer or active?

[@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel]

It is impossible to give a general answer to that question.