Question: digital XLR to an RCA input

[newtonnjd]

Hi,

I have an Electrocompaniet EMC 1UP, which I prefer to listen to with a combination of balanced stereo for the main speakers and PLII Music for the surround speakers.

I do this using the balanced analogue out to my mains, and separately the digital XLR out to a surround processer (Marantz AV7005). Initially I tried using the digital RCA out, but this didn't work and Electrocompaniet support told me you can only use the same type of digital output as analogue output - hence if I use the balanced analogues, I have to use the digital XLR.

To do this I bought this XLR to RCA adapter so that I could use the same rca coax cable into the Marantz:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/neutrik-na2fpmf-phono-socket-to-3-pole-xlr-female-n27gb

Am I getting a pure signal using this adapter, as I've read that mismatching connector types can cause signal reflections and loss of quality?

Is this the best solution, or is there a better configuration for a digital XLR to a digital RCA?

Thanks,
Nick.

[Yomanze]

You'll have no chance of impedance matching, so don't worry about it & enjoy the tunes.

[newtonnjd]

You'll have no chance of impedance matching, so don't worry about it & enjoy the tunes.

Thanks, but I'm a little confused - why is an impedance mismatch nothing to worry about?

[Yomanze]

Thanks, but I'm a little confused - why is an impedance mismatch nothing to worry about?

...because there is nothing you can do about it. XLR and RCA sockets have different impedances. If you really wanted to do something about it, you'd need 75 Ohm BNC sockets on the source & receiving components and 75 Ohm cable.

[newtonnjd]

Ah - I had read a few comments elsewhere mentioning transformer adapters for RCA/XLR mismatches, but know nothing about them so wondered if that was an option in this case.

[Spectral Morn]

Tad odd that there isn't a digital signal present on both digital outputs, first time I have ever heard that one can only get a digital out from the same type of out as the analogue connection that is in use - weird. Digital outputs should be independent of the analogue output, I would have thought.

[newtonnjd]

Tad odd that there isn't a digital signal present on both digital outputs, first time I have ever heard that one can only get a digital out from the same type of out as the analogue connection that is in use - weird. Digital outputs should be independent of the analogue output, I would have thought.

I was surprised when Electrocompaniet support told me that too. Unless something was lost in translation..

Also strange was that I tried 2 different coax cables from the digital RCA, both were noisy. Then I bought the adapter to use the digital XLR. One of the coax cables was again noisy, but the other (thankfully) sounded fine.

[hifinutt]

I have a acoustic zen mc2 digital male xlr to rca if you want
pm me for price . its brilliant , as is all az stuff

[newtonnjd]

I have a acoustic zen mc2 digital male xlr to rca if you want
pm me for price . its brilliant , as is all az stuff

Thanks, but I think it would need to be female xlr?

[Yomanze]

Even with that cable you will not be able to achieve an impedance match. The cable will be 75R, but the connectors' geometry makes it impossible to match impedance at either side. If you are worried about reflections, a more pragmatic solution would be to get a 5M length pro audio cable made up. This will prevent reflections from impacting the timing signals.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[hifinutt]

Thanks, but I think it would need to be female xlr?

ah no probs

[Stratmangler]

So you're listening to CD in pseudo surround?
I can't for one second understand why anyone would want to do that.
It's a CD player, it does stereo. Surround is not part of the equation.

The XLR connection SPDIF on your player is AES/EBU, and unlike standard coaxial connections it exhibits 110Ω impedance at operational frequencies.
AES/EBU was developed so that professional users could just use a standard connection lead from their cable box, and not have to obtain a specialist cable.

The adapter you bought from Maplin is not fit for the task in hand.
It ties one of the signal legs to ground, and it's used with single ended analogue outputs going into XLR input, or the other way round, XLR output into single ended input.

You need something like this http://www.neutrik.com/en/accessories/aes-ebu-impedance-transformers/

[newtonnjd]

So you're listening to CD in pseudo surround?
I can't for one second understand why anyone would want to do that.
It's a CD player, it does stereo. Surround is not part of the equation.

I do understand that viewpoint, and I dismissed anything other than 2 speakers for CDs for many years. But now I wouldn't go back. The PLII Music processing does an exceptional job of making a stereo source more enveloping and room-filling without sacrificing the purity, detail and power of the forward image.

I would invite anyone to come to my place and do an A/B of stereo only vs stereo + PLII Music and see if you agree (on my system atleast!)



The XLR connection SPDIF on your player is AES/EBU, and unlike standard coaxial connections it exhibits 110Ω impedance at operational frequencies.
AES/EBU was developed so that professional users could just use a standard connection lead from their cable box, and not have to obtain a specialist cable.

The adapter you bought from Maplin is not fit for the task in hand.
It ties one of the signal legs to ground, and it's used with single ended analogue outputs going into XLR input, or the other way round, XLR output into single ended input.

You need something like this http://www.neutrik.com/en/accessories/aes-ebu-impedance-transformers/

Thanks for the advice, I am tempted to do this. However I have read that the EMC 1UP's digital XLR out is not 110 ohm, so would this still apply?

"The wiring inside of the EMC1-UP is not 75 ohms or even 110 ohms, so the connectors are not going to make much difference. In fact, the AES/EBU is wired directly to the 75 ohm outputs and there is an attempt to match to 75 ohms for all of them."

"Modding the EMC 1-UP has a positive effect on all digital outputs. Unfortunately, unless the transformer is replaced, the outputs are all 75 ohms."

From: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/electrocompaniet-emc1-cdp-owner-s-suggestions#Audioengr

If the transformer was still worth doing, could I then use a cable such as this to go from the transformer to the digital RCA in on the Marantz?

https://benchmarkmedia.com/products/benchmark-bnc-to-rca-coaxial-cable-digital

[Yomanze]

In other words just plug it in and play lol. :D

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk