[musicbuff]

Looking at the SPL Phonitor 2 manual it appears balanced headphones can be run from the back panel through the 3 pin XLR outputs.

Question (please bear with me I'm not balanced and unbalanced connections saavy). Since there are right and left channels would a balanced headphone cable need 2 separate XLR terminals for right AND left connection (allowing only one pair of headphones to be plugged in at a time) or could the balanced cable end with just one XLR terminal to plug into the right OR left output (allowing 2 pairs of balanced headphones to be plugged in at the same time)? I don't understand why SPL didn't keep it simple and just include an XLR headphone jack on the front panel.

2nd Question. Can a TRS plug be balanced also? I'm confused because the pictures I've seen of (supposedly balanced) TRS plugs look the same as an unbalanced headphone plug. What's the difference? If anyone is familiar with this unit please let me know how your headphones (please include the brand) are connected and how they sound. Does balanced sound better than the standard stereo connection? Hope this isn't confusing.

 

[PurpleAngel]

The balanced (XLR) connection outputs two signals which are matching and is consider one channel and headphones work off two channels (normally).
So you would need to use two XLR jacks for headphones.
 
For the 1/4" jack (TRS), a balanced connection uses a stereo 1/4" plug, unbalanced uses a mono 1/4" plug (TS?).
The 1/4" balanced connection uses a plug with two (normally black) strips on the plug, where as the mono 1/4" plug only has one black strip

 

 

[musicbuff]

Thanks!  That clears things up a bit.  So if TRS is balanced, too, what's the difference between it and XLR?  And if they're both balanced, what's all the hype about XLR balance? 

 

[PurpleAngel]

  Thanks!  That clears things up a bit.  So if TRS is balanced, too, what's the difference between it and XLR?  And if they're both balanced, what's all the hype about XLR balance? 

 
XLR might in some way be more a "professional" type of connection (whatever that might be)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR_connector
I guess the XLR is designed for really just a balanced connection (not normally intended for un-balanced connection).
Also the XLR seems to allow the ground connection to come in contact first, instead of a live wire connecting first (prevent shorts?).
 
Where as using a TRS jack makes it easier to have both option of a balanced or un-balanced connection, while only using one jack, but a slightly more chance of a short happening?