Answered Best connectors for signal path

burnsdrake

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Hey everyone, new poster here.

I am working on my audio rig and have a question about banana jack adapters/options. Here is my setup:

AR XB turntable (Shure M97XE mm cartridge)>Cambridge Audio Azur 551P preamp>Yamaha A-S500 amp (as soon as my budget allows)>NI Komplete Audio 6>KRK Rokit 8's

My main question is how to best connect my (soon to be) amp outputs (banana terminals) to my DAC inputs (it takes balanced 1/4 TRS or XLR). I have never worked with the banana style outputs, and I have found dual-banana (male) to 1/4 TS (female) as well as dual-banana (male) to 1/4 TS (male) adapters/cables. Are either of these appropriate? Am I way off the mark?

A little bit about my end goal here: I am mainly trying to transcribe my vinyl to lossless digital files to both preserve my collection and to provide highquality audio files (from a source I can fully trust- aka generally vinyl first pressings) for my HTC One which has been providing me with excellent listening experiences coupled with my AKG K7XX cans. Maybe not hifi per se, but it's the best audio I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying :) I am adding the acclaimed (for its price) and transparent A-S500 to boost the signal as I don't like that I have to pretty much crank my DAC to get an ideal listening level (when my baby isn't asleep that is) when I run the preamp directly into the DAC.
 
Further, could I use balanced 1/4 TRS cables with the banana (male) to 1/4 TS (female) adapter; or conversely, could I plug the banana (male) to 1/4 TS (male) cable into the DAC input which I believe requires either XLR or 1/4 TRS (while maintaining good audio quality and without damaging my equipment). These are all short runs of cable as well.
 
your amp does not provide balanced output, but not all is lost.
balanced to single ended cables are available, which basically short the cold (low) to the ground and use the hot (Hi) and ground as single ended.
any decent cable would do, do not spend the earth on it - £15 to £20 should be max.
XLR or TRS is irrelevant, just pick one.
Banana is for speaker end.
Simple_Unbalanced-to-Balanced_Wiring.jpg
 
Thank you Ken!

So it would seem to me a viable option would be to pick up two banana (male) to 1/4 TS adapters (like the GLS Audio 1/4" to Banana Plug Adapter Cables 6" on Amazon), as well as two balanced-to-single ended cables that you mentioned?
 
I can't find the cables you mentioned, but it looks like I could plug the GLS Audio 1/4 to Banana adapters I referred to above into the Outs of the amp, plug two Hosa GPP-290s (1/4 TRS female to 1/4 TS male) into those, then use balanced TRS cables from those two adapters into my DAC?
 
Once again, you are using the word Banana wrong. Banana connectors are one connector for speakers terminals only, or a fruit you can eat.
1- I believe your DAC has XLR connectors which are balanced.
2- Your amp Yamaha s-500 does not provide balanced output.
3- we need to convert the not-balanced (i.e. single-ended) output of the amp to balanced for your DAC which is not easily possible.
4- so we cheat! we give your DAC single-ended input but shortout everything else. your DAC will be able to cope this.
5- here is the cable you need http://www.visiosound.co.uk/cables-...plug-twin-lead-audio-signal-patch-cable-p2895
6- if you tell us what ADC ( DAC plays back - ADC records ) or DAC you have, perhaps I could help you more.
 
I have a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 for a DAC. In your proposed solution, I would also need a banana plug to RCA female adapter, right? (such as: Amazon.com: Speaker Banana Plug To RCA Phono Adaptor For Amp Receiver: Home Audio & Theater). I was also considering these: Amazon.com: GLS Audio 1/4" to Banana Plug Adapter Cables 6". 1/4 Inch TS Mono Female to Male Banana Cords - 6 Inch Gender Changer Cable - 2 PACK: Home Audio & Theater coupled with this guy: Amazon.com: Hosa GPP-290 1/4 inch TRS to 1/4 inch TS Adaptor: Home Audio & Theater to be able to run balanced TRS cables from that assembly into my DAC inputs (as opposed to an XLR option). And please correct any terminology I have wrong, I'm here to learn :)
 
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I have a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 for a DAC. In your proposed solution, I would also need a banana plug to RCA female adapter, right? (such as: Amazon.com: Speaker Banana Plug To RCA Phono Adaptor For Amp Receiver: Home Audio & Theater). I was also considering these: Amazon.com: GLS Audio 1/4" to Banana Plug Adapter Cables 6". 1/4 Inch TS Mono Female to Male Banana Cords - 6 Inch Gender Changer Cable - 2 PACK: Home Audio & Theater coupled with this guy: Amazon.com: Hosa GPP-290 1/4 inch TRS to 1/4 inch TS Adaptor: Home Audio & Theater to be able to run balanced TRS cables from that assembly into my DAC inputs (as opposed to an XLR option). And please correct any terminology I have wrong, I'm here to learn :)
I don't know what you are talking about! and I have a feeling neither do you.
by all means go ahead and throw your good money on useless banana stuff.
you will not achieve your goal through banana plugs.
I am done here.
 
The amp I'm looking at is the Yamaha A-S500 which the manual states I can either use bare speaker wire in the outputs, or banana plugs- I'm sorry I don't know what else to call them. They seemed like a better option to me than bare wire? I think we have a bit of a disconnect here, pun not intended.

You suggested I plug RCA male plugs into the amp outputs (the link you provided is for 2x RCA male to 2x XLR), I didn't think that was possible- unless I'm not understanding your suggestion with that link. I appreciate your input though, I agree that I will need to short the cold to ground between the amp and the DAC to satisfy the needs of the balanced inputs given the unbalanced outputs of the amp :)
 
And I sincerely appreciate your help here, you were the only person kind enough to reply. Thank you for taking the time!
 
You do not get the output to your DAC from your speaker outputs.
You use tape out, which is phono.
Speaker outputs are for speakers only - nothing else.
if you use speaker outputs to your DAC - you will blow one or both.
 
in the picture you use the REC phono outputs on input 2 - using the cables I mentioned into your DAC.

Yamaha+A-S500+rear.jpg
 
Oh my word. I'm sorry I'm so thick in the skull here. I didn't realize there were other outs apart from the speaker outs... I'm a bit ashamed haha.

Thank you for realizing how fundamentally flawed my premise was.
 
You are a kind and wise man, thank you haha. I'm having a good laugh at myself right now :)
 
better still use the output from your Azur 551p , and do away with the amp.
 
I do run the Azur output directly to the DAC currently but find I need to crank the DAC output to get a decent listening volume (the sound quality is still great), which is what prompted me to look into running the preamp into a transparent amp, then into the DAC. The Azur doesn't have any volume control, I love it as a phono preamp though. I take it that this may not be worth the trouble, let alone the money!
 
No amp is transparent. period!
Crank up the volume, it does not matter.
For the sake of clarity, the volume on a pre-amp or processor can not be, or is not, crancked up - it is reduced!
Meaning at full volume (all the way crancked up) the input goes through without getting touched - as you turn down the volume, you reduce the level.
I hope that makes sense.
In most recent amps, max. vol is market as zero and anything less is market as "minus (something) dB".
 
Thank you for the education here, and for saving me $300-500. That would definitely have been a waste of money :)
 
I'll be content with my current setup (from the OP minus the A-S500), it sounds great to me and I'm looking forward to recording my lp's for archiving and enjoyment when I'm not able to use my turntable (on the go or the baby's sleeping etc). Thanks again for all the help, it is still cracking me up how wrong I was and how far I made us go down that path trying to solve a problem that didn't exist. Thanks again for taking the time to set me straight!
 
Most welcome.
I am here (on this forum) to help others, I am not here for the thumbs-up or the points.
If I did help, that's my reward.
 
I would shower you with thumbs up and thanks, but I'm too new and don't have that option- sorry Ken! I just searched the forum for where to find it, I learned new users can't access those features :(
 

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