[marekm]

I am contemplating adding a balanced amp to my Topping A70 Pro stack: A70 Pro & D70 Pro OCTO.

In other words, I would like to feed balanced signal from D70 Pro OCTO via XLR cables to two balanced headphone amplifiers.

My question is: will an XLR splitter like to one below degrade the sound or will it be neutral ?

 

[chezzer]

Using this would not make it balanced

 

[marekm]

Thanks.

Any other way of splitting the signal without compromising balanced ?

 

[chezzer]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07R5XG9CF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I use this this and it doesn't mess with the sound

 

[marekm]

Ordered the Nobsound 1-w-3-OUT XLR Audio Switch and 2 pairs of XLR interconnects.
In my set-up, balanced signal will be fed from Topping D70 Pro OCTO to the XLR switch and from there to Pathos Aurium and Topping A70 PRO

 

[TheFritz]

Ordered the Nobsound 1-w-3-OUT XLR Audio Switch and 2 pairs of XLR interconnects.
In my set-up, balanced signal will be fed from Topping D70 Pro OCTO to the XLR switch and from there to Pathos Aurium and Topping A70 PRO

I am also using the Nobsound 1-IN-3-OUT XLR Audio Switch to feed 3 amps (Burson soloist 3x GT, Topping A90D, and (new) Aune S17pro) balanced from my RME ADI-2 DAC. It works for years without issues and without any noticeable signal degradation. If you are into the scientific approach, its exact counterpart, the Nobsound MC-103 Pro 3-IN-1-OUT XLR Audio Switcher measured very well at ASR (it is a passive device anyway - so I hope that goes without saying but you never know if someone messed up the PCB/wiring).

I would generally refrain from using the y-cables. They are probably most often ok, but depending on the different input/output impedance ratios etc. of the amps/DACs, this can also lead to impairments - I am not an expert but such a y-splitter didn't work out with a tube and a solid state amp once...

 

[marekm]

Canceled my order for the Nobsound 1-w-3-OUT XLR Audio Switch

Pathos Aurium has balanced XLR out, so no switch is needed

My connections will be:

• Topping D70 Pro OCTO - XLR balanced - Pathos Aurium
• Pathos Aurium - XLR Balanced - Topping A70 Pro.

 

[TheFritz]

Canceled my order for the Nobsound 1-w-3-OUT XLR Audio Switch

Pathos Aurium has balanced XLR out, so no switch is needed

My connections will be:

• Topping D70 Pro OCTO - XLR balanced - Pathos Aurium
• Pathos Aurium - XLR Balanced - Topping A70 Pro.

The Pathos Aurium looks very nice but are you sure, that the XLR-Outs are not a (variable) Pre-Out and really a pass-through? Can not derive it from the technical description (although being German) ... "Tape" seems to hint at it but I am not sure. Does not seem to be clear from what I found online ( https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/pathos-aurium-as-a-pre-amp ).

 

[marekm]

The RCA out is a pass-trough (tested), so I believe that the XLR out is no different.

I will confirm this during the weekend
___________________

Weekend update

I have just connected balanced XLR output of Pathos Aurium (pass-through) to balanced XLR input of Topping A70 Pro and can confirm: "works perfectly"

1 DAC & 2 AMPs - all connections XLR balanced