In the cabinet, is there any functional difference between XLR and 1/4 TPS?

[Thaddeus]

Hi,

Right now all my gear is strung together with XLR patch cables.

Problem is, I want to put in a patch bay unit, and the affordable ones are 1/4 TPS.

Since both are a balanced line, is there a functional difference one can hear? Is one superior to the other, since we are talking cables less than a foot in length here?

Thanks in advance.

Thaddeus

 

[Steenamaroo]

In the cabinet, is there any functional difference between XLR and 1/4 TPS?

Hi there,
There's no difference between XLR and TRS other than the physical connection.

Since both are a balanced line, is there a functional difference one can hear? Is one superior to the other, since we are talking cables less than a foot in length here?

The connections don't dictate the kind of signal they pass.
You could use XLR to pass microphone level, instrument level, line level etc.
That said, if you're dealing with balanced line level then there's no difference between using TRS or XLR.

The main differences between the physical connectors are that ground makes contact first when plugging in and XLR, and XLRs generally lock into place.
The former is a good safety precaution when working with phantom power etc, but doesn't really matter with balanced line level signals.

Hope that's useful.