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Mark_M
236
Dec 10, 2019
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So on Reddit in the headphone sub-reddit I said this. "On the 789 I found the SE to sound dull and boring compared to the balanced output. The balanced out really opened up my HD6XX. Perhaps the noticeable difference depends on the headphones being used." Someone replied with this. "Turn your system volume down to 80%, and the single-ended output will sound just as good as the balanced output. It seems like 100% volume output causes the SDAC-B to struggle in a way that affects the single-ended output more significantly than the balanced output." Is it just a placebo effect to say that balanced is better than single ended?
Dec 10, 2019
veegee
2
Dec 10, 2019
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Mark_MThe balanced output has ~4x the output power of the single ended output. Might be a volume bias. If you match the volume exactly and A/B test the same headphones from both outputs, there should be no difference. I just tested with my LCD-X using both the balanced and single ended cables, and they both sound exactly the same.
(Edited)
Dec 10, 2019
postwarscars
1367
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Dec 10, 2019
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Mark_MIt's literally just volume difference, which is the usual case when people think A. is better than B. in audio. As veegee said, single ended power is much less, especially over a balanced source. There's no difference in quality. The extra power could matter in certain cases however, depending on a headphone's needs.
Dec 10, 2019
Mark_M
236
Dec 11, 2019
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veegeeSo then what is the point in having a "balanced" headphone connector? Why not just make the SE more powerful to accommodate hard to drive headphones? If "balanced" has no real benefit then it's all just marketing and getting people to pay more money for nothing.
Dec 11, 2019
postwarscars
1367
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Dec 11, 2019
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Mark_MBalanced is typically more powerful if you use a balanced source, since RCA tends to run 2 - 2.5 volts while XLR is generally 4. But that's not the primary benefit. XLR also eliminates ground loop noise, which can be very beneficial to your sound if you live in a badly wired location.
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Dec 11, 2019
Lisasonictower
666
Dec 11, 2019
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Mark_MOn a balanced amplifier the benefits of the XLR3 on the input is noise rejection, on the headphone XLR4 the benefit is way more power. i think there are 4 amplifiers in the 789 to be able to run bridged stereo for balanced output. So using SE you are using half the amplifier.
Dec 11, 2019
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