Analogue Interconnections - Prism Sound Titan Operation Manual

Prism Sound Titan Operation Manual Revision 1.00
7.4

Analogue interconnections

To maintain the high sound quality of Titan, it is important to follow some basic guidelines when
making analogue connections to the unit. This section discusses some things to watch out for.
Cable quality
Use of good-quality, heavy duty audio cables is recommended. For microphone use, quad-twisted
cables may give best results. Cables with heavy screens are recommended, especially for
unbalanced use. Owing to mechanical differences between connectors from different manufacturers,
it is advised to use cables with identifiable connectors from reputable manufacturers. This is
especially true for jacks, where unreliable tip connection can occur owing to the slightly
non-conforming shape of some manufacturers' parts. Neutrik connectors are used in Titan, and
these are recommended to ensure reliably-mating cables.
Balanced versus unbalanced connections
Where possible, balanced interconnections should be used, since the audio signal is represented as
a voltage difference between two dedicated conductors (neither of which is ground-coupled), which
are usually closely-twisted to ensure that any interference pickup is cancelled out. In unbalanced
connections, the signal is represented as a voltage difference between a single signal conductor and
an accompanying ground conductor. Where dynamic ground-potential differences exist between the
source equipment and the receiving equipment, this difference is effectively added to the unbalanced
audio signal.
This effect has long been familiar in audio systems as 'hum loops', where the variation in ground
potential occurred at line-frequency, and was developed by the flow of line-frequency currents to
linear power supplies. Hum loops were usually resolved by either steering the currents along
non-critical routes by re-arranging the topology of the system ground interconnections, or by
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