fr2632 0 Posted March 17, 2014 Hey guys, Question: what is the different between the jacks and XLR cable ? I have a mixer connected to the PC but I was wondering the difference between those two connections. Has XLR better quality or something ? Can I connect my HD500X to the mixer with those cables ? Thank you in advance. fr2632 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toneman2121 598 Posted March 17, 2014 i believe the difference is the length of the cable run. jacks for short and xlr's for long. google; http://sound.stackexchange.com/questions/24370/is-there-a-significant-difference-in-sound-quality-between-1-4-jacks-and-three Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie_Watt 432 Posted March 17, 2014 XLR is Balanced - much better for ground loop reduction especially if the device is not plugged into the same power strip. Use XLR if your amp / PA supports it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidb7170 219 Posted March 17, 2014 It is true that XLR is better at noise rejection, but the down side of the 500 & 500X is that the XLR cannot be switched between mic & line level output, like the 1/4" output can. I run my 500 & 500X straight into a Crown XL1000 amp, but when I tried the XLR (which I would prefer to do), found it could not provide line level signal that the amp needed to drive properly. With the 1/4" set to Line level, the amp gets what it needs to get proper signal out. I have been using the 1/4" out with a standard good quality 20 foot guitar cable with no bad affects. From what I understand, the rack-mounted Pro & Pro X have the ability to send line level via the XLR, but I don't consider that a viable product for me, as other than a couple of differences between the 500 and the Pro, I'd need a rack, a Pro, and a foot controller added on, for a significantly higher price tage to achieve the same outcome from what I have now. If the XLR noise vs 1/4" was a biggie, I probably would have gone the Pro direction, but it has not been the case. For mic level signals to a PA or something else with a pre-amp, XLR will be the best, as signal to noise levels are way more noticable at that volume level. Note -- I do send to our soundman's board via the XLR out and I always lift the ground with the switch to avoid ground loop issues as Charlie pointed out... My 2 cents. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie_Watt 432 Posted March 17, 2014 At least with Line Level it's a little less sensitive to ground loop noise. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brue58ski 611 Posted March 17, 2014 Just confirming that I got from Line6 themselves that the XLR's are designed to be used for mic level output signals only. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
