GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Didital Things
In the Thread: Pacific Microsonics Model Two: What Platform, Software and Card

Post Subject: XLR to RCA adaptor. Watch outPosted by xcortes on: 3/18/2011

Romy,

On a past thread you adviced the following regarding the connection of the PM2:

"You will not have problems to drive with balanced Pacific your single-ended amp. Juts buy a good quality XLR to RCA adapter or order XLR to RCA cable and you will be set. You do not even need to care about the pins layout as it might be configurable by the unit itself. You will lose 3dB but Pacific has plenty output in its D/A section, I do not remember exactly but at 0dB digital it will swing near 7V or something like this. I do not use digital gain/attention with it."

I've been researching about the same and the PM2 manual says:

"If the audio input from the Model Two must drive an unbalanced load, use pin 2 as high, pin 1 as ground, and lift pin3 at the load or use pin 3 as high, pin 1 as ground, and lift pin 2 at the load. CAUTION: Never connect the unused low pin to ground, (pin1) as that will short circuit one side of the Model Two's actively balanced, DC coupled, output amplifier, and seriously degrade performance."

I'm not expert in XLR to RCA adapters or cables but I know that at least some DO CONNECT pin 2 or pin 3 to ground. I'll make my own so that's not a problem but anyone using adapters should make sure they leave the unused pin lifted.

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