The True Balance Story
Our new True Balanced Connection redefines accessibility to balanced phono technology!
Balanced audio connections are standard among professional musicians, recording studios, and in live concerts. They have always been available in high-end turntables and audio systems, but, for the first time, our True Balanced concept is breaking it down and bringing balanced connectivity to a brand-new entry level. It is essential to have a stable & interference-free connection as these signals, especially microphone signals, will be highly amplified. The same applies to the connection from your turntable to the phono preamplifier. The significant advantage of a balanced connection is its ability to remove picked up noise and interferences completely.
Balanced Connections for Your Turntable at Home
Phono signals are 1000 times smaller in voltage than regular CD, streaming or line level signals. This is why, as you know, you need a phono preamplifier for your turntable, to amplify the signal and make it usable by your "normal" amplifier. Your cartridge is an electro-mechanical transducer just like a microphone. And just like your cartridge, every microphone needs a preamplifier too! And the most important similarity: just like a microphone, your phono cartridge is a balanced signal transducer! But, regular single-ended phono preamps only process half of the available signal coming from the cartridge! They are not making use of the balanced nature.
Balanced By Nature
Cartridges are balanced signal transducers by nature! You can easily see this, by the 4 small wires on the back of your cartridge. Why are there 4, it should be only 2 because there is just one left and one right channel? There are four, to simplify it, because each channel exists twice! Your cartridge is able to generate voltage by moving a magnet within a magnetic field generated by coils around it. Hence the name moving magnet (note: MC cartridges do it the other way round, they move the coils around a magnet, hence moving coil). And for each movement your will always generate a positive and negative voltage. Again, this is exactly the same as if a microphone diaphragm moves when you speak or sing at it. The result is a positive and negative voltage always! It should be easy to argue then that both of those signals, equally carrying all the important musical information waiting for amplification, should be transported to the phono preamplifier. But here is the catch: your regular single-ended RCA cable is simply not designed to do that. Hence the name "single-ended". Regular coaxial RCA cables can only carry one end to your preamplifier!
The Problem with RCA and Single-Ended Connections
Historically speaking, RCA cables in HiFi come from radio, tape, cassette and CD applications. Those sources are all already at line level, meaning already (pre-) amplified. This makes them way less fragile than microphone or phono signals. While they still benefit from balanced signal transmissions (in a recording studio or live setting any line level signal is converted in an extra step so it is balanced), it can be argued that for home use, it is OK to use really good single-ended RCA cables with proper shielding and proper build quality. But why is this different for turntable or phono signals?
Present day problems
Nowadays, many electromagnetic fields interfere with turntables. The causes are wireless networks and numerous electronic devices in the modern home. The RCA cable between your turntable and your amplifier is prone to picking up noise on the way. This so-called “electrosmog“ can interfere with the tiny phono signal and add noise to your music. This noise is then quite unsurprisingly amplified by more than 1000 times in your phono preamplifier. You can help minimize this effected with really good, properly built RCA cables made with excellent shielding and semi-symmetrical wiring. But even then, while you can minimize the effected like that, by going True Balanced you can actually negate these interferences and completely get rid of them by 100%. Our True Balanced Connection does exactly that - it makes sure that from the moment you exit your cartridge and go into the gain stage of your phono preamplifier, any of those interferences are cancelled out completely. This is the beauty of balanced signal transmission!
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
6) Adapt it
A welcome upgrade to every standard plastic single adapter.
Adapt it fits all brands and types of turntables and centers your 7“ vinyls precisely on your turntable.
7) Measure it E
The Measure it E Stylus Tracking Force Gauge is a highly accurate electronic scale that is designed for measuring stylus tracking forces up to 5.0 grams in 0.002 gram increments. Each Measure it E can easily be calibrated using the supplied calibration weight with the push of a button. When in doubt about the actual amount of pressure on the diamond tip the 4 digit display of this smart tool will help.
8) Level it
Turntables should always be placed on a flat surface. Proper placement will ensure proper arm function. With this spirit level, you can easily check if your turntable is level.
9) Leather it
Leather it is an interesting option to upgrade sound quality. Resonances are damped more effectively than with felt, dust is kept away AND it has enough connectivity to avoid static. Leather it is a very cost effective way to improve sound and reduce noise caused by static and dust. You can hear the difference!
10) Lube it
Last but not least, this high quality Platter Bearing lubricant will help the platter of your turntable run smoothly. This lubricant works with turntables with regular bearings (Elemental, Primary, T-Line, Essential, Debut, The Classic, Juke Box & X1/X2). To use it just apply 2 drops to the bearing. Lube it is a perfect maintenance product and can in certain cases help to fix rumbling platters. For inverted bearings like RPM Line, Xtension models and Signature Line our Grease it is the perfect tool.