audiophile cable to monitors

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osion

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I posted this on another forum but didnt get responses so I'll try it here.
ok, i have the audiophile which has RCA outputs and i have yorkville YSM1p monitors with XLR or 1/4" TRS inputs. I don't have a mixer. I've read how unbalanced to balanced interconnections could cause unwanted humming and don't know how big a problem this can be but wanted to know what I could do to minimize it.

I know the connection could go soundcard -> mixer -> monitor. Does it ever go soundcard -> preamp -> monitor?

Do I just get XLR-RCA cables or is there a better way to do an unbalanced/balanced connection?
Also, I can't tell if I need a male XLR-male RCA cable or a female XLR-male RCA cable. I've seen pictures online but that isnt helping. I assume I need a male XLR.

One last question: I saw this cable being sold online:
"Groove Plugs XFM10 XLR Male / RCA 10 feet"
It doesn't say RCA male... is it automatically assumed to be male?


A reply would be greatly appreciated.
 
osion said:

I know the connection could go soundcard -> mixer -> monitor. Does it ever go soundcard -> preamp -> monitor?
No. The output of the soundcard is already at line level so there is absolutely no need to put another gain stage in the chain.
Soundcard -> active monitor will work just fine.

Do I just get XLR-RCA cables or is there a better way to do an unbalanced/balanced connection?
Also, I can't tell if I need a male XLR-male RCA cable or a female XLR-male RCA cable. I've seen pictures online but that isnt helping. I assume I need a male XLR.

One last question: I saw this cable being sold online:
"Groove Plugs XFM10 XLR Male / RCA 10 feet"
It doesn't say RCA male... is it automatically assumed to be male?

You'll need male connectors on each end of the cables.
If the yorkvilles have 1/4'' inputs, you'd better use those, simply because 1/4'' <-> RCA cables are in general cheaper.
 
I think you can safely assume that the RCA end is male. I think the only things I've ever seen with female RCAs (aside from a piec of audio equipment) was a cable coupler thingie.
 
thanks for the replies. Do you know where can I buy 1/4" TRS- RCA cables? The sam ash and radio shack next to my house didnt have them.
 
osion said:
thanks for the replies. Do you know where can I buy 1/4" TRS- RCA cables? The sam ash and radio shack next to my house didnt have them.

this cable is a little hard to find, I had mine made in my local music store.
 
It says the adapter "Fits 1/4" mono phone jack"
Doesn't 1/4" mono mean TS instead of TRS?
I thought 1/4" stereo is TRS and 1/4" mono is TS. Is that wrong? How do I know which 1/4" jacks are TRS and which are TS if it doesn't say on the product?
Thanks for the help guys.
 
osion said:
It says the adapter "Fits 1/4" mono phone jack"
Doesn't 1/4" mono mean TS instead of TRS?
I thought 1/4" stereo is TRS and 1/4" mono is TS. Is that wrong? How do I know which 1/4" jacks are TRS and which are TS if it doesn't say on the product?
Thanks for the help guys.

Do you know what TS and TRS stand for?
Tip/Sleeve (2 contacts) and Tip/Ring/Sleeve (3 contacts). Your eyes will tell the difference.
 
RCA jacks are unbalanced mono so you don't have too many options here. Any RCA to 1/4 adapter will be mono/unbalanced/TS.

The only problem with using unbalanced lines is that they are more prone to noise and interference when the cable is more than 10-15'. Since this is your monitor chain and not a recording chain it's not that big of a deal.
 
osion said:
thanks for the replies. Do you know where can I buy 1/4" TRS- RCA cables? The sam ash and radio shack next to my house didnt have them.

I bought mine at Guitar Center. Most music stores have them.
 
I just have one more question. THe YOrkville manual says "input cable can be either XLR or 1/4 inch T.R.S." Would a regular 1/4 (unbalanced)-RCA cable work?
Since the RCA is unbalanced does it matter if the other 1/4" end is balanced or not?
Basically I just want to know if a regular 1/4" unbalanced-RCA cable would work since the manual only mentions XLR and 1/4" balanced.
If I can use a regular RCA-1/4" cable, would there be any advantage to getting an RCA-XLR cable instead or is an unbalanced-unbalanced connection the same as a balanced-unbalanced connection.
sorry about all the questions, this cable stuff is confusing to me.
 
It can get confusing. If one single connection in a chain of cabling isunbalanced (or one of the equipment i/o), the whole chain is unbalanced. So if you use an unbalanced cable (rca-rca coax) with an unbalanced adaptor (rca-ts) is the same as getting a cable with an unbalanced plug (rca) on one side and the balanced plug wired for unbalanced wiring (trs soldered on a coax has the ring connected to sleeve).
 
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