Thanks Mr. D'Amore for the quality information. Always good to hear it from a quality engineer rather than from someone who thinks they know what they are talking about. Love all the new product you are developing and can't wait to see more.
Very helpful- I bought a new differential preamp and amp but kept coaxial cables and couldn't explain the noise that I created. Eventually went xlr but wish I saw this video prior. In the real end figured that it was caused by halogen sconces emitting noise to the room even on separate electrical drops.
For all the folks hemmimg and hawing over balanced XLR and RCA not being able to carry a balanced signal... An RCA can carry a balanced signal, if it uses a twisted pair wire. The cable assembly will simply be unshielded. We often wire studio installs with telescoping shields, where the shield (pin 1) is disconnected at the input of each device. this drains static and RF back to the Chassis Ground in only one direction, terminating to a common ground bus. This avoids ground loops. The shield in a balanced audio system carries no signal... At least we hope not!
Tony, im a EE in the industrisl industry. I never really had a professional opportunity to work in the Ee field. On the other hand, I have always love the audio end as a hobby. Recently I have embarked into xar audio. I have watched your videos and it rekindled my love of it. I have applied it to my car design and I have excellect car tunes. Thank You. Keep up the instructional videos.
Wow that's some AWESOME info man!! I know this is old but this is however NEVER mentioned anymore lol. I'm a noob and I am glad I found this for my first SQL build!! 👏🏼👏🏼👌👌💪💪🔥
Thank you very much. This was very helpful. Its funny how you mentioned that the Industries forgot about that technology cuz yeah this is the first time I've ever heard about it. Thanks again
In my experience, it is extremely rare nowadays to use RCA-style for DI signals. Maybe that 's why this info is not common in the industry, These days the industry convention dictates XLR cables for DI. The 3 pins of XLR are signal+, signal- and shield. For example, my CD player has both outputs. All the best, Rob
A very good, informational video, and thorough lecture on the two main signal cables, DAmoreEngineering. Thumbs up. The 2 methodologies are explained well. Therefore, we are not going to make mistakes based on connectivity to amplifiers for our hi fi audio systems.
Cool. Thank you so much for this. I’m trying to add a phono preamp signal to a b&k avr505 receiver but it has to be a 15’ cable for proper placement of the turntable without drastically altering the setup. I tested the turntable signal with a shorter standard RCA cable (6.6’ Prosolutions Blue Soft analog rca) and it worked great. The new long cable creates low level static/feedback/white noise through the speakers with one end just plugged into the receiver inputs. I believe the new cable is a center lead, shielded coax. This maybe my issue.
So, I am looking at a JL Audio VX1000/5i amp for a new car audio build. It has RCA inputs and in the documentation I noticed it says Differential Input on those inputs. So what do you use with a source that is not Differential? Any problems there? Also, which cable?
There is a question that I've been wanting to get answered. If I measure a balanced car audio signal with a digital multimeter and get 8 volts reading would that become 4 volts going into an unbalanced RCA input at an amplifier? That would seem to be the case because the inverted signal or basically half the voltage is getting grounded at The amp anyways so the voltage will be cut in half right?
Hey Anthony, nice video! I have a question: I use a Marantz AV7005, which offers XLR out (not sure if balanced) and 9 surround channels run on cheap TDA7492 chip, which has differential inputs. No ground to - , signal passes through 2 op amps before being amplified. The 2 main front channels comes from the Marantz and go to a 845 SET power amplifier. This has the input - grounded. Here comes the question: Knowing that I can get balanced and unbalanced outputs, which cable type should I use where? Thanks and regards, Dieter
Hey Anthony, another question: would it be the best of both worlds if use a shieded twisted pair, like a CAT6 STP cable and ground the shield? thanks and regards, Dieter
Take an ohm meter (DMM) and check the resistance from the battery ground connection on amplifier to the RCA outer ring on amplifier (with everything unplugged from amplifier). If you have less than 100 ohms it is a single-ended input.
DAmoreEngineering Wow, thanks for the reply! I know you guys explained the same thing in the video, but for some reason I feel that this explanation is more solid. On an unrelated note, I had always known about your company from Steve Meade's videos, but now once I figure out which type of RCA I need I'll most likely end up buying from you. Keep up the awesome work guys, this type of potential customer relations and not keeping this information hidden and secret like everyone else really shows what kind of a company you are.
lowellaby You have a positive and ground connection on any amplifier that runs on DC. The "battery ground connection" is the big ground connection for which you hook up your main ground wire to.
Really great information, just a small suggestion though. If you put this comment in the description that would be great for later use in case it is not on top when someone tries to go back to see this video. Thanks for the awesome information!
You may have had experience with this but when running RCA cables close to cabling for light clusters induces noise, for example in my case the loom is down the left hand side of an E90 and following the factory loom which are basically the cables going to the light cluster down the left hand side down to where the factory amplifier normally is, when you put your foot on the brake static noise can be heard. I want to keep my RCA run tidy with the factory cabling but have found it to be problematic in that it picks up EMI whenever I put my foot on the brake. I have verified this when disconnecting the plug that runs to the rear light cluster and the noise is no longer there. The cabling is the 6 channel Stinger 4000 series. I have tried other cables but to no avail. Running it down the centre console works better but I have found it to be untidy for cable management. The headunit is an aftermarket 80prs, so it’s a straight RCA run from the headunit to the amp. The amplifier is a class D five channel JBL GTR 7535.
okay so if i get my meter and check for continuity from the amps ground to the shell of the rca coming out of the amp it should beep that means single coax rca and if no beep its twisted pair? is there a way to tell if you need twisted pair? if i was just looking to see if i need it
I'm using DI in my Polk audio amp since November and I haven't had a problem but I'm curious what's the side affect because I didn't understand that much in the video
Would this mix up of RCA on an amplifier cause some scratchiness or quite white noise effect? I'm not talking about alternator whine or something like a ground loop whine, but I mean just the different cable causing noise.
I have big questions. Please. My HU is a Pioneer DEH-80PRS. From what is available online I have found that this might be a "single ended" RCA preout head unit. If I use twisted/ balanced RCA cables to an amplifier that is ALSO "single ended," what could happen? Is there any loss or risk? Any gain? Any chance of damage?? Also, my DMM says 1166 on the ohm reading when connecting the positive lead to the RCA Input outer ring and the negative lead to the ground on the disconnected/ unpowered amp model amp PX1900.4 Massive. Does this mean the amp is "single ended?" Or "differential?"
thanks for the info! never knew this. i had a pioneer avh-4400bh and swapped out for power acoustik pnk-761. i had a couple issues wit this but one thing im curious about is why the sound was much lower than my pioneer. they were both 4 volt pre outs. could the wrong type of rca cables affect the travel of sound volume to the amps or was this stereo reallt just that bad?
Like this video a lot. Good future reference video. Thanks for putting something up like this. You seem very intelligent and I trust your knowledge? Coming out with any more technologies soon?
Testing both of my amplifiers, a 4 channel Pioneer and a mono Kicker, I got roughly 17k ohms on the Pioneer, and roughly 6-30m ohms on the Kicker. The Kicker amplifier specifies that it's a differential model, while the Pioneer doesn't mention anything about the type of input it uses. So I am going to assume that the Pioneer is a single ended based off of the lower resistance shown vs the known differential resistance shown on the Kicker. I hope I am correct in my assumption!
This probably explains why I had noise I could never find and I was running Stinger 4000 rca from my Audio Control LC2i to my amps. Probably needed regular RCAs and not twisted pairs and I was a victim of just thinking they were better newer technology.
Hello i have a weird problem. I have 3 Jvc ks ax6500 and they all work. And after measuring the positive and negative input to ground the value is 10Kohm on all 4 channels But from 1 rca negative to the other 3 rca negative it's 0 ohms, is this a problem?
I've been looking for a decent explanation on RCAs and how to wire them up for different scenarios for awhile. Although this isn't exactly that Tony's explanation combined with knowledge I already learned just turned the light bulb on in my head! Lol
Thank you. but i am not sure i understand how to tell if the amp is single ended: should it have no resistance between the rca input and the ground ? i think you mentioned it should have 1000 ohm or less ?
Hi, recently bought an audiolab 8300cdq and Audiolab 8300XP. Reading through the manual it make no mention of SE or DI RCA connection. I dont have an Ohm meter so is there another way to tell?
To be more understandable, differential input means balanced type cable, more often come in XLR form (Usually Starquad structure). Single ended not necessarily in coaxial, but more often in RCA type. Unbalanced RCA may consist 2 or more cores of wire in TRS cable.
My crossover is single. Would it matter using the double from my head unit to the crossover before it gets to the amps? Only reason I ask is because I just got my expensive twisted rca in today. Wish I saw this video a week ago.
I did not experience any difference in quality or performance on my Audison LRX 1.1k with cheap and expensive RCA cables, tried both of these types as well. Marketing crap.
The issue with Differential Input Cable doesn't surprise me. Monster Cable had manufactured these since the 1990's with Interlink 300 & 400 Series. There are White Stickers with Arrows denoting the Signal Flow which plugs into the source.
So, what is Kimber PBJ? It looks like twisted pair (braided, actually). No shield. But it's not called out as specifically single-ended or differential. It sounds the same as my Blue Jeans LC-1. I guess I always assumed that all RCA cable is single-ended.
i just bought an Alpine PDX-v9 5 channel amplifier. I want the best cables for this amp. should i use a twisted wire rca? I want the best conduction of sound. i was thinking about using 12 guage speaker wire for the mids and highs. what do you think?
I have never heard of this! One thing I don't understand, the majority of RCA cables marketed for automotive amplifiers seem to be twisted pair. ALL of Rockford Fostgagte's cables are twisted pair, so does that mean they are DI?
I have got 2 question. How can i know if cable is balanced or unbalanced if i look at it or any other way to find out.? 2. If my amp has balanced rca input and i have got balanced rca cable do i need also headunit or any other source wirh balanced rca output?
Interesting video. I think I have a differential amp. I have always been told to stay clear of unshielded twisted cables. When playing from a digital source with my shielded cables I have 0 noise when playing from my phono preamp I have lots of interference. So if I do have a diffential amp (cyrus 8) Would the twisted cable eliminate this noise? I get more confused every day😂
Does this mean that you need to know what outputs your head unit has? if the output rca from the head unit is the SE style, then the outer jacket of the rca which would be ground would not work for a DI style cable... could you please elaborate on that point? Thanks.
If the head unit has SE outputs and the amplifier has SE inputs = coax cable If the head unit has SE outputs and the amplifier has Diff inputs = twisted pair If the head unit has Diff outputs and the amplifier has Diff inputs = twister pair If the head unit has Diff outputs and the amplifier has SE inputs = bad no matter what as you will shorting out half of the head unit's outputs. In this case you would need an amplifier with Diff inputs or a converter to convert the head unit's outputs to SE
DAmoreEngineering, Sorry for the late reply. Just saw this. Most head units with Diff outputs has a current limiting resistor so when it connected to a grounded input, there is no harm done. This is done for compatibility. It is true the level is then down 6db which is the proper level for most unbalanced inputs.
Any chance you know what it would be considered if I'm going from an IPhone Lightening connector to RCA converter back to a BOSS car amplifier (pf1800)?
Mr Damore, are you able to show us how one sounds compared to the other if you use the wrong one? I know you are busy, but I really would appreciate it! Or maybe anyone else has a link to a video like that? Thank you! -iMickey503-PDX
How does the end consumer know which one to use? How would the end consumer know what kind of outputs the head unit has and what kind of inputs the amp has?
Never knew! But what brands go under which category? Specifically looking for Rockford's, as that is what I have. T series. I'm guessing differential since their rcas are twisted.
Well described!! Thanks for the great explanation. I'm in the middle of doing a sound system upgrade for my car. I was told that the best way for me to keep my stock head unit in my car and connect it to an aftermarket amplifier is to tie an RCA cable to the 5 output pairs (Front right/left, rear right/left and sub) going back to the amp. Someone mentioned it was a "Clean signal" coming from the stock headunit. If this method is true, what happens to the braided shield if I were to strip the other end of the RCA? Do I tie the shield together with of the ground wires coming from the 5 output pairs? Thanks for any help in advanced!!
R C the output you are getting from a stock head unit is already amplified. You need a line level converter. If you tie the amplified levels to an RCA directly to your amp you are going to have major problems.
