Balanced Line Cable Connector

A ground a positive leg and a negative leg.

Balanced line cable connector.

An example of a mono balanced signal would be a line input or output from a mixer or audio interface. Balanced cable types xlr. Two signals wires plus a separate ground wire. When you have a balanced cable both the positive and negative wires receive identical versions of a signal.

For the purpose of this discussion we are focussing on the end of the cable that plugs into the source not into the headphones as the headphone cup connector does not determine unbalanced or. Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio equipment using balanced lines this type of connection is very important in sound recording and production because it allows the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external noise caused by electromagnetic interference. However this did not become widespread until repeater amplifiers became available. Any noise picked up along the cable run will typically be common to both legs.

As you see in the diagram above there are three male pins inside the connector the groundwire the hot signal and the cold signal. Headphones receive stereo signals over trs cables. While they receive identical versions of the signal the polarity of the negative wire is inverted. Trs connectors and cables.

But what makes a balanced cable special is the way the gear utilizes that. The cable construction used for balanced telephone cables was twisted pair. As in the unbalanced cable the ground wire still surrounds the signal wires and is used as a shield against interference. Balanced lines are ideal in situations involving lengthy cables and low signal levels where noise can be a problem.

For an unamplified telephone line a twisted pair cable could only manage a maximum distance of 30 km. A balanced cable by contrast has three conductors in the connector and three wires in the cable. Open wires on the other hand with their lower capacitance had been used for. Headphone cables come with a variety of connectors and it can be difficult for the uninitiated to differentiate between balanced and unbalanced.

Trs cables can be used for mono balanced signals as well as stereo signals. Monoprice xlr male to rca male cable 6 feet black with e21gold plated connectors 16awg shielded twisted pair oxygen free copper braid conductors premier series 104777 4 7 out of 5 stars 703 9 84 9. Xlr cables can send balanced audio signals up to 200 feet. Simply put a balanced cable reduces noise while an unbalanced cable does not.

As the signal. A balanced electrical signal runs along three wires. A quarter inch trs cable is another balanced professional audio cable. Balanced connections typically use shielded twisted pair cable and three conductor connectors.

For a more technical explanation. Both legs carry the same signal but in opposite polarity to each other. Trs connections have three contact points conductors separated by two insulator rings.