Is It Possible for a Manufacturer to Create a Design that Minimizes the Effects of Cables? Anyone you are familiar with?

[Ron Resnick]

Also they prefer the sound signatures created by simple single ended circuits.

This is what I'm curious about. Yes, this must be the case.

Why did they prefer the sound signatures created by simple single-ended circuits.

People using SE connection are not supposed to use long cables ...

Absent an actual noise problem or an actual grounding problem David Karmeli is of the view that there's nothing wrong with using long single-ended cables. My personal experience supports this view.

 

[gleeds]

below is a pdf of an article published in the Sept 2001 Stereophile magazine, written by Herve Deletraz (i still have a hard copy of that issue). this was a year prior to Herve launching the darTZeel brand in 2002, with the Stereo 108 amp, and is the basis for the 50 ohm 'Zeel' BNC interface which is intended to minimize the effects of cables.

the main perspective of the article is that conventional cable interfaces (RCA and XLR) are not capable of proper impedance matching and so allow for signal reflections which reduce transparency. and that improvements in impedance matching matter. i'm sure i'm glossing over lots of details. but that is my take to the degree i can understand it.

the math and theory is beyond my capability of understanding. but it is one person's vision and was implemented and in my view had success. i still use a 7.5 meter Evolution Acoustics 'zeel' BNC set of interconnects between my dart 18NS preamp, and dart 468 mono blocks. btw; not all 50 ohm bnc cables sound the same. the quality of the plug construction and cable matters alot. cheap BNC's sound cheap. the EA's i use are the best one's i've heard over the years.

https://www.townshendaudio.com/PDF/Impedance_matching%20deletraz%20paper.pdf

this link was provided by @marty and was found here.

Mike, I have always been a fan of the Zeel interconnects; the EAs version was exceptional.

 

[microstrip]

This is what I'm curious about. Yes, this must be the case.

Why did they prefer the sound signatures created by simple single-ended circuits.

The more usually referred reason is simpler signal path, less components. And then people associate a lot of subjective qualities to this fact.
Or simply they do not like the sound signature of balanced. It is a common subject in high-end designers interviews.

Absent an actual noise problem or an actual grounding problem David Karmeli is of the view that there's nothing wrong with using long single-ended cables. My personal experience supports this view.

If you disconnect safety grounds on amplifiers it can be hum free - I had to do it on Lamm ML3's to use long cables. But each case is a separate case, depending on mains system and system layout. However SE usually does not have problems with up six feet cables. A long SE cable will always create a ground loop - the area defined by the ground of the signal cable and the ground of the mains cable. It is simple geometry. We can break it using special devices, but is code approved in some countries.

 

[italia]

Here's an (translated) explanation from an amplifier manufacturer regarding single ended vs balanced connections:

"We always recommend RCA input and output for the following reasons:

In balanced, you have one stage taking care of the positive part of the signal and a second stage taking care of the negative and then you add both together to receive or to send to another unit (amplifier, preamplifier). In adding them you create something that nobody wants; it is a cross distortion.

You experience this distortion because a perfect amplifier does not exist, and you are using 3 different amplifiers to achieve ‘true balance’ but these amplifiers do not have not the same behaviour and are never identical.

Moreover, your power supply is supplying all these amplifiers and then is not as powerful and efficient.

You increase the output stage impedance and then you have less control. Sometimes, it seems better because everything is less on control and the bass is smoother. The gain is higher (the noise also!).

But it is not the truth.

The quality of the XLR contact is only a piece of metal and is of less quality than a good RCA connector.

The only reason to be true balanced is when you are using very long cable in professional studios to avoid humming problems. This is the reason it became fashionable and we see today that even a poor Japanese product can provide balanced outputs and inputs.

We provide balanced XLR connectors for those customers who want or who need absolutely use these connectors for very long cables.

This is normally very rare in domestic installations.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Where are they using BNC in audio? Digital streams? It's an RF based connector?


Rob

BNC is not a signal type but a connector type you can use it for all what you want. e.g Naim audio use it for phono connection over years with chord cables , or as word clock connection(digital) is bnc today standard.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Unless you quantify such statements it is like saying that the weight of a passenger affects plane speed. Yes, it affects. Cable termination must be seen from the separate perspective of signal time and signal amplitude.

This debate lives on the ambiguity of mixing them. Audio cable termination was not created by DartZeel - Meridian Audio used it is the 80's in their systems, curiously using 75 ohm cables and termination. The main reason for being unsuccessful was poor implementation and poor understanding of the role of cables in the analog domain. .

The introduction of digital cables in the 90's, when timing of fast digital signals became critical and cable termination become mandatory made the situation even more confusing for audiophiles.

If you don't stick to the standard, it is measurable. And what is measurable definitely has an influence on the transmitted signal. You can measure whether the 50 ohm cable is suitable for this. Wave resistance in german use translator

Messung des Wellenwiderstands einer Leitung

Messung des Wellenwiderstands einer Leitung

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A really good cable for that is aircell 7 ecoflex very flexible and very good dense shielding