RCA to balanced


I have a BAT preamp. Would there be any advantage to buying Cardas adapters so I can use my balanced inputs. What would be the drawbacks. My interconnect from my phono pre is currently the Cardas Clear Light interconnect (RCA to RCA).
last_lemming

Showing 3 responses by nsgarch

Sell the BAT preamp AND the single-ended phonostage and buy an Atmasphere MP-3 fully balanced preamp with a fully balanced ALL-TUBE phonostage built right in! You will need an XLR-terminated phono cable (from the tonearm to the MP-3's phono input) but that's it! And then you can really enjoy that MC cartridge, which actually is a balanced output device to begin with! No common ground (no crosstalk!) Big, big soundstage. And more (effective) output from the MC cartridge. Unless you have a really low output MC cartridge (less than 0.2 microvolts) the (3 gain stages) all-tube phonostage in the MP-3 preamp has plenty of gain - WITHOUT the need for a step-up transformers, or a (yucky) FET first gain stage.

Ralph (Atmasphere) doesn't want to toot his own horn, so I will! I'm still hounding him to come up with a standalone phonoamp, but life is short ;~)
John-tracy is correct in that coupling caps have consequences -- don't all circuit parts? Ihe issue is which devices' "consequences" you think di the least harm, right?

For neutrality, I'd personally take today's high quality caps over step-up transformers any day -- but there was a time when SUT's were the only way to go, which I think might explain the huge numbers of them now available used.
John,
NsgarCH, the discussion here was line out transformers
Quite right John; I missed that ;~)