Balanced Cable Discussion

Thank you. I appreciate your help.

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I have been bitten by the balanced connection bug. Recently bought 2 balanced amps (Schiit Jotunheim with a separate Bifrost Multibit DAC and Sennheiser HDV 820) and am using them with the 4 headphones I have with balanced terminations (HD650, HD660S, HD800S and Focal CLEAR). My experience to share with our group is that balanced cables can really, honestly, truly produce a dramatic improvement in sound quality. The most notable enhancement Iā€™ve noticed is with the HD650, where there is an absolutely huge difference with the Cardas Cross cable (maybe 25-33%) and to a lesser (but still substantial) degree with Sennheiserā€™s stock cable. My question for the community, please, is this. Which specific headphones do you think get the most improvement from a balanced connection? Thanksā€¦Lee

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Since a balanced connection offers two technical benefits over a single-ended connection, itā€™s largely going to be those headphones which can take the biggest advantage of those technical improvements.

Specifically, a ā€œbalancedā€ connection should have completely separate signal paths for each channel, rather than the shared ground that you get with a single-ended headphone connection. And if itā€™s a ā€œbalanced differentialā€ amplifier feeding them, then youā€™d expect to have twice as much power on hand as well.

So, headphones that benefit from more power will generally fair better with a balanced differential output. Things like the LCD-4, Abyss AB-1266 Phi CC, HE-6, Susvara are four definite examples there ā€¦ though there are plenty more. Though, of course, if you have, say, 2 watts in SE mode, and 2 watts in BAL mode (i.e. not differential), this difference will not be there.

And then the effect of having completely separate left/right channels, with no shared ground, means less cross-talk which, depending on what level it was at to being with, will give a better stage, allow resolution of more detail and reduce smearing of micro-dynamics. The more competent dynamic headphones will really benefit here, and the more resolving they are the more likely you are to hear a real difference. So things like the entire Focal line, the HD8XX and HD6XX, almost any IEM, most electrostatics, and really anything that does micro-dynamics and resolution well to begin with.


Note, something like the Jotunheim is balanced-differential, so you get both the power and totally separate channel drive there, where as, say, the iFi Nano iDSD Black Label only has the separate channels, so it doesnā€™t get the benefit of more power.

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Thanks Torq. Insightful and helpfulā€“as always.

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I concur about the benefits for the HD-600 family. My HD-600s were utterly transformed by a $20 eBay balanced cable. I concur with @Torq and have had similar experiences. There were big benefits for the Focal Elex, and my HE-560s sound fantastic on balanced.

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you knowā€¦I have balance cables for the Elex and I never used them with them specificallyā€¦I went right to the clears with themā€¦I will have to remedy that tonight! :thinking:

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I have the HE560 to and like them alot (with Cardas Cross cable on the Schiit Lyr2). So maybe Iā€™ll give them a try on balanced. What cable do you use?

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Factory. The 2nd edition (gray metallic plastic housing) shipped with XLR-4 and single ended cables. I havenā€™t used the singled ended cable much.

Pick one also.

I also bought from, to complete the other connections

https://www.veclan.com/engappliance_sel_one?eng_ApplianceVo.eac_id=36

3.5 TRRS to 4PIN XLR
4.4 to 4PIN XLR

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15451812988833209055893815028703

Potato quality but @generic Iā€™ll be giving these a go tonight.

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Iā€™d rather have performance than looks. To me better to spend $$$ on high quality components

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Iā€™m usually that way also, function over formā€¦but I do also like how certain things look :wink: these are Periapt cables, big fan, plus their Customer support is awesome!

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definitely something iā€™ll consider once i upgrade my dac/amp from just the mojo
in a few months.

i wasnā€™t aware of the reasoning behind balanced vs unbalanced, only, like
many others that a good balanced approach ā€˜sounds betterā€™
i found this youtube video from PS Audioā€™s Paul McGowan helpful.

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Bear in mind that what ā€œbalancedā€ means for interconnects (and sources/amps) is a bit different to what it means for headphones and headphone cables.

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thanks Torq (as always)ā€¦iā€™m still learning this and putting all the dots together
ā€¦so i appreciate your patience if i ever forward ā€˜incompleteā€™ info :wink:
this said, for those watching this, feel free to send me some links on helpful info.
i was reading that not only are balanced cables important but the ampā€™s circuitry has to be
truly balanced, too. (or something like thatā€¦)

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Paul McGowan is a quirky kind of guy in a good way. I was looking at a video of i2s last night of his. He is extremely knowledgeable and tries hard to keep it down to earth so guys like me have a shot of understanding it.

I appreciate your your video link. It has me rethinking balanced vs non balanced again.

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yes he sure isā€¦
i know this is off topic but as an aside PS Audio is developing their own line of speakers (see their ā€˜listening room seriesā€™
as they build/reno their listening roomā€¦shows the 7ā€™ speakermonsters that paul and his crew currently listen to)ā€¦wow!.)
i contacted them a few months agoā€¦for now there will be 3 sets of speakers, all at nose bleed prices unfortunately, all with servo driversā€¦should be out in fall of 2019
ā€¦1st series will be in the US$20-30k rangeā€¦2nd series in the $50-70k rangeā€¦and then the $80-100k rangeā€¦of course these prices can change in futureā€¦but howā€™d you like to listen to those puppies?
image

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counting_50s

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talk/rationalization with better half:
ā€˜ā€˜honey weā€™ve been talking about using the equity from our place and downsizing anyway, right?
our new 10x30 trailer park home will be the new trendy ā€˜japanese reductionistā€™ designā€¦and so what if the audio takes up 30% of the spaceā€¦the sound will be worth itā€¦no please donā€™t dial the divorce lawyerā€¦put the phone downā€¦ā€™ā€™

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Ian
Maybe some where in between your wedding preparations, vows or honeymoon.

marriage5

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