what is the difference between a balanced and unbalanced speaker or mic ?

You can also have balanced equipment. Normally, this is reserved for much higher cost gear since there are essentially two completely separate signal paths thru the gear. In other words, you are buying two identical products in one box. The signals are combined at the output and any internally generated noise is cancelled out. 600 ohm is balanced (professional) and the signal can travel over wire long distances. unbalanced is like 50,000 ohms and usually used for consumer equipement and degrades over distance An unbalanced one will fall over easier. If you want to topple a balanced one, you'll have to give it a shove. An unbalanced connection is the typical one where a co-axial cable is used to connect a mic to an amplifier or amplifier to a speaker - the inner transmits the signal while the outer holds the return (usually earthed) and shields the signal from noise.

With a balanced connection, there are 3 unshielded cables - the signal, the signal reversed (i.e. 180 deg out of phase) and the return. The receiving end adds the signal and the signal reversed, reversed again - mathematically (Signal + Noise) - (-Signal + Noise) = 2 x Signal. The Noise is cancelled out! Ideal for long runs of cable. Balanced has the XLR connector with

2 conductors and 1 return, wheras the

unbalanced ?" connector has 1 con-

ductor and 1 return. Balanced form is

the superior connection for sound.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/xlr_connect...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jack_plug...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rca_connect...

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_ If you want the simple basic answer balanced cables have two conductors (wires ) of the same size inside unbalanced have one and use the outer sheild as one of the conductors..

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