Manual

14
Balanced audio connections (CXA81 only)
The diagram below shows how to connect the CXA81 to the CXN Network player using the Balanced Audio inputs via three pin XLR connectors. The
CXA81 can also be connected to non-Cambridge Audio sources with balanced outputs.
Balanced connections in an audio system are designed to reject electrical noise, from power wiring etc, and also the effects of noise currents
flowing through ground connections. The basic principle of balanced interconnection is to get the signal you want by subtraction, using a three wire
connection. One signal wire (the hot or in-phase) carries the normal signal, while other (the cold or phase-inverted) carries an inverted version. The
balanced input senses the difference between the two lines to give the wanted signal. Any noise voltages that appear identically on both lines
(these are called common-mode signals) are cancelled by the subtraction.
The CXA81 is designed to work at its highest performance when a balanced interconnect is used.
Note: To select the balanced input on the CXA81, press the A1 button twice on the front panel or on the remote control so that the A1 light on the
front panel display lights up Orange. Repeatedly pressing the A1 button will toggle between balanced and unbalanced inputs.