5punk

So... I have recently 'acquired' some of these beauties

[img size=300]http://www.schnittpunkt.de/Systemhaus/G ... 73x600.jpg[/img]

They're active speakers so I want to have the output straight from my sound card but have no idea (and can't find any info) if the output from my X-Fi Xtreme Gaymer is balanced on the stereo jack output. Any ideas?

These speakers take either balanced XLR or balanced 1/4" jack input. However the manual also states "An unbalanced source may be used as long as pin 3 is grounded to pin 1 at the input"

Er.. is this normal for an audio cable or is a 'special' one required?

mrbobbins wrote:"An unbalanced source may be used as long as pin 3 is grounded to pin 1 at the input"

I think that refers to the xlr input.

Most likely (I suspect, maybe perhaps, I dunno) I think you might need either

2x 1/8" to 1/4" TS cables. or a 1/8" TRS to 2x 1/4" TS cable.

But I really have no idea. so it's your problem if you try this and they release the blue smoke.


I'd suggest poking at them with sticks until something works.

1/4" is instrument cable style one.

IIRC Creative use 3.5mm mini jacks out the back of the card, I know all my soundblaster and audigy's do.


I'm quite sure the output is balanced, you just need to convert sizes and it should be all ok.

Probably going to need a couple of these:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... 20to%201/4




So, you've bagged a pair of studio monitors, nice going.

I'd be seriously shocked if your soundcard had balanced outputs. Even the top end Creative ones usually don't have balanced outs, so you're probably going to need either a different soundcard, or some kind of intermediary to balance the outputs.

buzzmong wrote:Probably going to need a couple of these:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Mod ... 20to%201/4

So, you've bagged a pair of studio monitors, nice going.

I've got these coming out my ears so it depends if the earthing bit of the cable is right

deject wrote:I'd be seriously shocked if your soundcard had balanced outputs. Even the top end Creative ones usually don't have balanced outs, so you're probably going to need either a different soundcard, or some kind of intermediary to balance the outputs.

Well this is what I can't find any solid info on,

After more investigation this is what I need If it's not a balanced output

[img size=600]http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/ampins/b ... phono2.gif[/img]


Case 2) Unbalanced output TO balanced input.
Assuming the output ground is connected to the cold line input, then in theory there is complete cancellation of ground voltages- unless the output has a series output resistor to buffer it from cable capacitance, (which is almost always the case) for this will unbalance the line. If the output resistance is 100 Ohms, and the cold line is simply grounded as in Fig 4a, then Rs degrades the CMRR to -46 dB even if the balanced input has exactly matched resistors.
The impedances on each line will be different, but not due to the asymmetrical input impedances of a simple differential amplifier; the hot line impedance is dominated by the output resistance Rs on the hot terminal (100 Ohms) and the cold line impedance is zero as it is grounded at the output end. The rejection of capacitive crosstalk therefore depends on the unbalanced output impedance, and will be no better than for an unbalanced input, as at 1); the main benefit of this connection is ground noise rejection, which solves the most common system problem. http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/ampins/b ... lanced.htm

mrbobbins wrote: Well this is what I can't find any solid info on,

If it had balanced outputs, they'd shout it from the trees.

I'd suggest working on the assumption it's unbalanced.



as far as the other bit. 7

Right...

Internet wrote:

The traditional way to feed unbalanced signals to balanced inputs is to have the screen and the cold core connected at the unbalanced end (bottom picture). However, this can sometimes result in earth loop hum problems, in which case you should either disconnect the screen altogether at the unbalanced end, or alternatively connect it via a resistor of between 100(omega) and 500(omega) (top picture).

Can't I just buy one?!

buzzmong wrote:So, you've bagged a pair of studio monitors, nice going.

Studio monitors are not very good for listening to music/gaming, I know this sounds weird but the idea is that if you can make music sound good on studio monitors then the music will sound amazing on anything else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_monitor

Sorry to spoil your fun but they might not sound that good unless you plan on making music with them.

w3rthers wrote:Studio monitors are not very good for listening to music/gaming, I know this sounds weird but the idea is that if you can make music sound good on studio monitors then the music will sound amazing on anything else.

Monitors are for hearing, not for listening, IMO, anyway.

mrbobbins wrote:Can't I just buy one?!

Probably, but I suspect it'd be very, very not cheap.

w3rthers wrote:Studio monitors are not very good for listening to music/gaming, I know this sounds weird but the idea is that if you can make music sound good on studio monitors then the music will sound amazing on anything else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_monitor

Sorry to spoil your fun but they might not sound that good unless you plan on making music with them.

Er, yeah I know the principal behind them, but aside from doing editing on my PC they'll certainly sound better then the crap hi-fi I currently use.

Besides, they do have tone controls

I believe you will treasure this knowledge of audio equipment I am about to dispense.

Speakers: If you plug them in, noises come out.

That's about all I have. Never forget it.

spoodie wrote:I believe you will treasure this knowledge of audio equipment I am about to dispense.

Speakers: If you plug them in, noises come out.

That's about all I have. Never forget it.

Hard.

spoodie wrote:I believe you will treasure this knowledge of audio equipment I am about to dispense.

Speakers: If you plug them in correctly (including switching them on at the wall, in the case of powered speakers) and your source is reasonably matched, working properly, switched on, producing an output at non-zero volume and sending it to the correct channels, noises come out.

That's about all I have. Never forget it.

Fix'd.

eion wrote: Fix'd.

fucking pedant

I reckon Eion might be the kind of guy who ends up writing EULAs for a living.

Lateralus wrote:I reckon Eion might be the kind of guy who ends up writing EULAs as a hobby.

fix'd.

Lateralus wrote:I reckon Eion might be the kind of guy who ends up writing EULAs for a living.

Pffft. Contract law was never my speciality.

Lateralus wrote:I reckon Eion might be the kind of guy who ends up writing EULAs for a living.

Hmm, writing something that no-one ever reads. How unrewarding.

Like a blog.

FatherJack wrote: Hmm, writing something that no-one ever reads. How unrewarding.

Like a blog.

Imagine an EULA writers blog

mrbobbins wrote:
Imagine an EULA writers blog

Imagine the disclaimer at the beginning of a EULA writer's blog.