Calling all DarTZeel owners - RCA or XLR inputs for your sources?

buzzlulu

Member
Jan 31, 2022
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Curious to know how DarTZeel owners are connecting DAC/Streamers to their preamps - via RCA or XLR?

My digital source is a dCS Rossini APEX + Clock. dCS provides both RCA and XLR outputs on all their units however they are on record officially stating XLR output is superior.

Hervé’ has designed the NHB-18NS to be single ended however the XLR input on my Model 2 is significantly upgraded - just about the equivalent to RCA as per my received emails from him.

As I have frequently said to several of my DarTZeel/dCS friends - it depends which religion one chooses to follow - the balanced XLR version from dCS or the single ended one from Herve.

When I was using the totl Chord MUSIC XLR and RCA cables I had a preference for RCA. I now have Silver Siltech RCA and XLR cables under test and I am back and forth - sometimes going towards XLR. The interesting thing is the 380 XLR I am testing is one level below the 680 RCA I have in for test - yet it remains highly competitive.

In the Absolute Sound review of the Vivaldi APEX Jacob Heilbrunn actually used a 50 ohm ZEEL cable from Herve with a RCA adapter on the Vivaldi end. The output impedance of the Vivaldi (and Rossini) at the RCA connectors is just about 50 ohms.

PS - as we know there are really no digital sources with BNC outputs other than the Playback Design.
 
Last edited:
RCA for me.
 

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