True Balanced Connection Concept Explained

All Pro-Ject turntables are balanced signal sources by their nature, but the ability to exploit this beneficial technology has traditionally only been available to more high-end or bespoke analogue systems. Pro-Ject’s True Balanced Connection concept intends to extend these benefits to a broader variety of vinyl enthusiasts than ever before.

Depending on the output voltage of your pick-up cartridge, the typical output level from a turntable is many hundreds of times smaller (sometimes even over 1,000 times smaller) than that of a Line level source, like a typical CD player or streamer. When we pass this basic analogue signal through an RCA cable to a phono stage it is then subjected to the various electronic forces that are present in our modern living environments. Powerful electronic devices, like kitchen appliances, as well as wireless routers, Bluetooth transmitters and other devices can all contribute to an "electrosmog" that can introduce noise problems to your turntable's sensitive low-level signal. 

Pro-Ject's True Balanced Connection concept has drawn inspiration from professional audio experts, who all make use of balanced audio connections for a reliable, rock-solid performance in their high pressure environments like live concert venues and recording studios. The cable configurations used in these environments are able to remove picked-up noise from the signal path, resulting in an interference-free signal with increased dynamics and an overall lower noise level.

How it Works:

Unbalanced RCA cables, like those most commonly found in turntable systems, work in the following way...

An Unbalanced connection (Yellow boxes show sections with interference)

A Balanced connection has double the wires, which will each pick up the audio interference

Balanced (typically XLR) cable connections double the wires carrying the musical signal – with one side inverted. In this case noise still gets picked up by both wires, but with one side reversed. When the signals are re-joined at the phono stage, the picked-up noise is cancelled out by the opposing signals. The benefit of this is a louder, cleaner musical signal that has doubled in size with almost no remaining noise.

Balanced connection wires with one side inverted, to cancel out interference

The resulting signal after inversion

What do I need for a Balanced Turntable Connection?

Your turntable system needs the following components in order to make use of true balanced connection technology:

• An appropriate CARTRIDGE needs to be mounted to the turntable. In almost all cases a moving coil (MC) cartridge is appropriate for use in balanced systems. This is because their output pins are typically not internally connected to the cartridge's generator shield. Conversely, most moving magnet (MM) cartridges are not appropriate for use with balanced systems, as in many cases their "right channel -" output pin is connected to the cartridges generator shield for grounding purposes. If you try to connect a typical MM cartridge in a balanced configuration you will experience channel inbalance issues.
  
  For customers who would prefer to use an MM cartridge, Pro-Ject have worked with the cartridge experts at Ortofon to develop the Pick it Pro Balanced, which overcomes these inherent technical issues thanks to its clever design. 

• An appropriate CABLE between the turntable and the phono stage. Balanced cables require five connection points at the turntable end, so you will most typically spot a balanced-ready turntable as one from Pro-Ject that has either a 5-Pin, a Mini XLR or a pair of XLR connectors as its output connectors. However, Pro-Ject have also developed some special cables to take a balanced signal from their RCA output turntables, such as the enduringly popular Debut Carbon models.

• An appropriate PHONO STAGE. A balanced-supporting phono stage does not need to be fully balanced throughout, however, it does require an appropriately designed balanced input stage that is equipped with either XLR or Mini XLR connectors. All Pro-Ject balanced-ready phono stages are made with proper balanced signal transfer in mind.

Once all these requirements are met it's possible to achieve the most technically correct means of vinyl signal transfer, resulting in an improved musical output that's free of noise and interference. 

Here are a few of the true balanced products we carry:

Please Note: Balanced Connections are not the same thing as "fully balanced" devices. The benefit of the above is in transporting the musical signal from the turntable to the phono stage in the most efficient and high-quality manner possible. Look out for fully-balanced electrical devices separately.

Read more about the benefit of True Balanced Connections here.