Instruction manual

DAC2 DX Instruction Manual Rev A Page 23
XLR Wiring
The DAC2 uses industry-standard XLR wiring:
 XLR pin 2 = + Audio Out
 XLR pin 3 = - Audio Out
 XLR pin 1 = Cable Shield
CAUTION: If the balanced XLR outputs are wired to an unbalanced input (using a special
adapter cable), pin 3 must be left floating. Shorting pin 3 to ground will increase the
temperature of the output drivers, will increase power consumption, and may cause
distortion.
Unbalanced Analog RCA Line Outputs
The Left and Right unbalanced outputs use standard RCA style jacks. The ground connections are
bonded to chassis ground at the location where analog ground is bonded to the chassis. This
minimizes the effects of ground loops caused by AC currents in the cable shield.
The XLR output level is 2 Vrms at maximum volume (or in BYPASS mode). This is the same as 8.2
dBu.
Note: The XLR pads do not have any effect on the level of the RCA outputs.
The RCA output impedance is very low (30 Ohms). This makes these outputs well suited for
driving high-capacitance loads and/or high-capacitance cables.
TIP: The RCA outputs are capable of driving cables as long as 1360 feet (see Table 1).
But, long un-balanced cables will generally suffer from hum problems due to ground
loops. We highly recommend using balanced interconnects for long runs.
TIP: Mono summing with an RCA ‘Y’ cable is not recommended as this will cause high
amounts of distortion. Mono summing with a ‘Y’ cable can be accomplished with the use
of a modified cable by implementing a 1k Ohm series resistor in each leg of the ‘Y’.