Balanced DAC — XLR or SE ouputs?

Just because a component has XLRs does not mean it is true balanced, so buyer beware (or aware).


True balanced is true high-end, and will reward you, if you have quality XLR cables. I have had many different mfgs XLR cables over the decades, none provided better bang for the buck then Wire World


hth

I believe the Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC XLR outputs are true balanced. With this said, in some cases as @tweak1 points out the quality of the cabling can make a big difference - in fact I recently experimented with a "decent" XLR vs a "fantastic SE" between my DAC and linestage. I compared the Cardas Clear Light XLR vs the Tellurium Q Black Diamond SE and the TQ won out hands down. While the TQ gave up a few dB gain the sound was richly organic, much more detailed, and presented a bigger soundstage than the Cardas.

I think people obsess over spending extra money sometimes for XLR connections when they actually could get better sonic gains for less incremental cost by going with better SE ICs.

3 easy p's


that is not true when one’s kit is true balanced, but has rcas for convenience, as is often the case with unbalanced components that provide XLRs as a ’convenience’

Charlatans pretending to be hi-end audio.


SE, properly called unbalanced components using RCA connectors goes back to the earliest days of hifi, but the game changed decades ago. The lame component designers never embraced it, and the buyers were (and still are mostly ignorant).


There is no denying that true balanced kit trounces unbalanced IF/WHEN properly designed components AND quality XLR cabling is used

The Zu Omen are extremely efficient 97db speakers.  But they do have a higher impedance at 12 ohms.  While a higher impedance means that it is very easy for any amp to drive, it also means you are going to get less watts on a normal solid state amp.

Your current Ragnarok puts 60 watts into 8 ohms, but on the Zu Omen you are likely going to see about 40 watts per channel.

The Schiit Freya has the potential to be an amazing tube preamp if you choose the right tubes.  Options can be something fast and high resolution like PSVANE CV181 or something organic and magic like "real" NOS Amperex.  The Aegir puts 20 watts into 8 ohms, but you are likely only going to see 15 watts per chanel into your Zu Omen.  While it's still not bad considering the efficiency of the speakers, they aren't going to push the volume like the Ragnorak.

The Elekit TU-8600S is likely going to be the most organic and engaging solution.  But you are looking at only 9 watts per channel with 10% distortion.  Be aware that tube amps will also start to saturate at about half rated power, so you really are only going to get about 4 "clean" watts per channel on this thing.  It could sound amazing to you, but only at low to mid volume levels.

Schiit does claim that it really is true balanced, all the components I've mentioned now. 

@tweak1 
Thank you! Do you have good XLR recommendations? And preferably plain cable that I can solder connections to. 

@auxinput 
These are clarifying insights! Thank you. And I assume then that having the ability to go to monoblocks via the Schiit setup is going to be a big plus. As of today my main gripe about the Omen + Ragnarok combo is that I don't think they achieve synergy/a pleasing style of sound due to their combo. The power is at least enough. 

I have bought quite a few brands.

If your components are on the dark side (and you want more light) I have 2 pair of cryoed Surf Cable XLRs that I would sell


but with my very light system (but with  jet black and ginormous sound stage) I use 1.0M Wire World series 7 XLRs

I’d personally look/listen to the best Audioquest that I could afford or better yet buy used here or on Usaudiomart. Just an opinion