While we wait... How good cheap analog can sound!

[cybot]

OK so it's reliant on using certain connect cables other then your typical red & white phonos then?

Exactly :-)

[james]

As far as I know and I may be wrong ..

Normal connections [e.g. phono plugs] is positive/negative voltage along one wire relative to zero [earth] on the other line .. so the total voltage ... along the cable ... can be plus or minus ..

Balanced is three wires where the total voltage is zero but it is split between the two wires so one will be positive and the other negative and vice-versa .. there is always a zero [earth] wire ..

The connectors used have 3 terminals such as XLR or 1/4 inch 3-way [stereo] jack-plugs [one per channel] ...

If you have a CD player [say] that outputs balanced you can usually wire it for "normal" operation ..

Have a look at [but its full of ads] ...

http://www.audioholics.com/education/ca ... cts-page-2

james

[Claus]

It is very easy to hear if you ever try to run a normal cheap interconnect of, say 20 meters. This will usually degrade the sound quite a lot. In pro audio you can have much longer runs with a fragile signal from e.g. microphones.

The problem as far as I know, is that a true ballanced system, has to have double components in the output stage. Making this section twice as expensive to produce.

This link is useful:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/ ... rence.html