-10 RCA to +4 XLR converter

jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
The Samson S Convert is no longer available. What else is out there for both level and impedance matching?
 
zildjian

zildjian

Audioholic Chief
There are several on the market, but unless you HAVE to have balanced output for a particular amp that doesn't have unbalanced inputs, I would simply use RCA's as you won't really get the full benefit of an XLR output using such a converter device since your input is still an unbalanced RCA... One such device is the Rolls MB15B.
http://www.rolls.com/product.php?pid=MB15b
More are available. Just google RCA to XLR converter.
-Brad
 
jp_over

jp_over

Full Audioholic
From my old notes:

Whirlwind LM2U - 2-Channel Balanced to Unbalanced Line Level Converter
Art CleanBox

I also looked at some "direct boxes" / DI. Sort of confused me so I moved on!
 
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J

jostenmeat

Audioholic Spartan
The Samson S Convert is no longer available. What else is out there for both level and impedance matching?
Damn sorry I missed this.

I have a Samson S convert I'd like to get rid of. It was used for all of a handful of seconds, before I ran to turn the system down in fear of the roof collapsing on me. Unfortunately it was too late to return it as the DIY sub took longer to acquire, build, and move, than expected. Anyways, it appears my Onkyo 805 had more than enough preout voltage to drive my Crown amp.
 
GranteedEV

GranteedEV

Audioholic Ninja
Art Cleanbox Pro on the way:)
I would avoid the cleanbox if this is for a subwoofer. Some analysis and measurements over at Home Theater Shack implied that it limits subsonic performance or something along those lines.
 
jinjuku

jinjuku

Moderator
I would avoid the cleanbox if this is for a subwoofer. Some analysis and measurements over at Home Theater Shack implied that it limits subsonic performance or something along those lines.
It's for the bench...

*EDIT* that was the original Cleanbox. The Cleanbox II and Pro (I have the pro) are not affected by this.
 
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L

lmyers

Enthusiast
Damn sorry I missed this.

I have a Samson S convert I'd like to get rid of. It was used for all of a handful of seconds, before I ran to turn the system down in fear of the roof collapsing on me. Unfortunately it was too late to return it as the DIY sub took longer to acquire, build, and move, than expected. Anyways, it appears my Onkyo 805 had more than enough preout voltage to drive my Crown amp.
Is your Samson S Convert still available? I'm in the market, as it were...
 
K

kiwiaudionut

Audioholic
Please confirm the Cleanbox Pro does NOT need the modification ?
 
J

jostenmeat

Audioholic Spartan
If you by any chance still have it, please PM me.
You're at least the second guy to ask me after its sale, so for anyone else who is googling and finding this thread, it is sold, I am sorry, thanks for your interest!
 
modernprimitive

modernprimitive

Enthusiast
i realize that this post is quite old, but i have questions about the cleanbox pro, and since you own one, i figured you'd be a great source for info.

i use my system for both movies and music of course, but i tend to lean more towards the music side. i'm by no means an audiophile and i'm sure i will catch a lot of criticism for some, if not all of my component choices.

my current setup is as follows: onkyo tx-nr818 avr, cerwin-vega ls 12 front channel, cerwin vega e-76 c center channel, and an shs audio sa-2500 powering a cerwin vega 15" sub in a custom inclosure. i currently have no other channels hooked up, as i moved and had to downsize.

my problem is of course with the subwoofer. i know that the output voltage of most home receivers is just too low to properly run pro amps. the sub ouput is decent with the onkyo/shs combo, but i have to almost max out the gain and i'm sure it could be better, so i ordered a cleanbox pro. the problem i have, is that once installed, it seems to have made no difference. i ran rca from sub out on the onkyo, to the unbalanced input on the cleanbox, then the xlr balanced output from the cleanbox into the amp. i can adjust the output gain on the cleanbox, as well as the gain on the amp, and have no noticeable difference. it's as if the gain control wasn't working for either item. it's entirely possible that i have overlooked something, so that's why i'm asking for help.

thank you in advance.
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
Might be a silly question, but do you have the Art clean box pro plugged into the wall and the power on? Have you adjusted the channel level on the Onkyo at all?

i realize that this post is quite old, but i have questions about the cleanbox pro, and since you own one, i figured you'd be a great source for info.

i use my system for both movies and music of course, but i tend to lean more towards the music side. i'm by no means an audiophile and i'm sure i will catch a lot of criticism for some, if not all of my component choices.

my current setup is as follows: onkyo tx-nr818 avr, cerwin-vega ls 12 front channel, cerwin vega e-76 c center channel, and an shs audio sa-2500 powering a cerwin vega 15" sub in a custom inclosure. i currently have no other channels hooked up, as i moved and had to downsize.

my problem is of course with the subwoofer. i know that the output voltage of most home receivers is just too low to properly run pro amps. the sub ouput is decent with the onkyo/shs combo, but i have to almost max out the gain and i'm sure it could be better, so i ordered a cleanbox pro. the problem i have, is that once installed, it seems to have made no difference. i ran rca from sub out on the onkyo, to the unbalanced input on the cleanbox, then the xlr balanced output from the cleanbox into the amp. i can adjust the output gain on the cleanbox, as well as the gain on the amp, and have no noticeable difference. it's as if the gain control wasn't working for either item. it's entirely possible that i have overlooked something, so that's why i'm asking for help.

thank you in advance.
 
modernprimitive

modernprimitive

Enthusiast
yeah. it's plugged in. not a silly question, i've seen people forget to plug things in, or forget to hook up speaker wires, etc. i've gone into the setup on the onkyo and adjusted the sub out level, the frequency cut off for both the sub and the front channel, since the front channel cutoff effects whether the sub can even receive a signal or not. if the front channel are set to "large" or "full" on the 818, then the subwoofer gets no signal because all the lows go to the fronts. i've called onkyo to ask them if there was something i was missing with the setup of the avr, and they walked me through everything, to make sure i had not missed anything. that's why i ordered the cleanbox. i was tired of having an anemic subwoofer. i'm just frustrated, since i've gotten almost the same sub response out of lesser equipment. i've run cheap drivers in cheap cabinets with a kenwood kmx-1000 with decent results, so it's dissapointing to have a dual voice coil 15" sub, in a custom enclosure driven by a 2400 watt amp, that doesn't seem to have much oomph. ya know??

so now i'm at the mercy of people with much more experience than i with mixing consumer and pro audio, and hoping you guys can help me.
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
My advice would be to download REW, get a headphone jack to RCA cable (if your computer doesn't have RCA outs) and use the sine wave generator on REW. You may also want to calibrate your sound card as well. If you're still getting anemic bass then the problem is either with the amp or the sub, if the thing blows you away, then the problem is somewhere in the Onkyo. Either with a setting or with the preout. You need to start testing each piece of the signal chain individually to localize the problem if you think that you have everything set up correctly and if you think all the settings on the Onkyo are correct.

yeah. it's plugged in. not a silly question, i've seen people forget to plug things in, or forget to hook up speaker wires, etc. i've gone into the setup on the onkyo and adjusted the sub out level, the frequency cut off for both the sub and the front channel, since the front channel cutoff effects whether the sub can even receive a signal or not. if the front channel are set to "large" or "full" on the 818, then the subwoofer gets no signal because all the lows go to the fronts. i've called onkyo to ask them if there was something i was missing with the setup of the avr, and they walked me through everything, to make sure i had not missed anything. that's why i ordered the cleanbox. i was tired of having an anemic subwoofer. i'm just frustrated, since i've gotten almost the same sub response out of lesser equipment. i've run cheap drivers in cheap cabinets with a kenwood kmx-1000 with decent results, so it's dissapointing to have a dual voice coil 15" sub, in a custom enclosure driven by a 2400 watt amp, that doesn't seem to have much oomph. ya know??

so now i'm at the mercy of people with much more experience than i with mixing consumer and pro audio, and hoping you guys can help me.
 

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