Introduction
If you're an audio engineer or even a music enthusiast, you might have heard about balancing and unbalancing audio signals. But what exactly do these terms mean? Are they different from each other? Which one should you choose? In this blog post, we'll explore the differences between balancing and unbalancing audio signals, and we'll compare them based on various factors.
What are Balanced and Unbalanced Audio Signals?
Before we dive deep into the comparison, let's first understand what balancing and unbalancing audio signals mean.
Unbalanced Audio Signals: In an unbalanced audio signal, there are two conductors- a signal conductor and a ground conductor. It's the most common type of audio signal, and it's used in devices such as guitars, microphones, and instruments with a single output.
Balanced Audio Signals: In a balanced audio signal, there are three conductors- two signal conductors and a ground conductor. The two signal conductors carry the same signal, but with opposite polarity. It's used in devices such as professional audio equipment for recording studio, radio, TV, and live performances.
Comparison
Now that we know the difference between balancing and unbalancing audio signals let's compare them based on various factors such as signal quality, noise, distance, and cost.
Signal Quality
Balanced audio signals generally have better signal quality than unbalanced signals. The reason is that balanced signals can reject noise and interference, whereas unbalanced signals are more susceptible to interference. Balanced signals can carry longer distances without losing signal strength, whereas unbalanced signals tend to generate noise and hum over longer distances.
Noise
Balanced audio signals have much lower noise levels than unbalanced signals. Unbalanced signals can easily pick up electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI), which causes noise and hum in the audio signal.
Distance
Balanced audio signals can carry sound over longer distances than unbalanced signals while still maintaining the signal's fidelity. Unbalanced signals can quickly become distorted when carried over long distances, especially if the cables are running near power cables.
Cost
Balancing audio signals tends to be more expensive than unbalanced signals. Balanced cables and connectors have a little more complexity and require more materials to manufacture. Therefore, you can expect the cost of balanced cables to be higher than unbalanced cables.
Conclusion
Balanced and unbalanced signals have their advantages and disadvantages. And, it all depends on the application where they're used. If the quality of the sound signal is critical, such as in professional recording and live performances, balanced cables are the way to go. On the other hand, unbalanced cables are useful for shorter distances, such as in home stereo systems.
We hope this blog post helps you understand the difference between balanced and unbalanced audio signals. But we're not done yet, and we want to hear from you. Which type of cables do you use the most? Let us know in the comments below.