How to connect Mcintosh MC8207 (XLR only) to Yamaha AVR Pre-outs?

[lovinthehd]

Ooh, maybe someone can send Amir their Outlaw 976 for review.

Here is S&V's test of the 975:
"Analog THD+N: less than 0.02% at 1 kHz with a 100-millivolt input. Crosstalk with a 100-mV input: –91.28 dB left to right and –93.81 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with “A” weighting: –121.85 dBrA.—MJP"

Here is the Yamaha:
"Analog THD+N: less than 0.008% at 1 kHz w 100-millivolt input. Crosstalk w 100-mV input: –93.82 dB left to right, –94.21 dB right to left. Signal-to-noise ratio w “A” weighting: –130.92 dBrA.—MJP"

Either are very good specs.

 

[TLS Guy]

I don't think the OP is doing the WIRING himself, nor is he interested in opening up the cable to check the wiring.

As long as the cable is good quality, it's simple plug-and-play. I've done it many times back when I was using an AVR to ATI amp. So have many people. You don't need any kind of converter. Plug and play.

You may have been lucky and have had the right cables. However, you can order the correct cable. XLR to RCA and RCA to XLR are different cables and both are available. So you likely had RCA to XLR cables, which is the most common.

However we have had members with some Yamaha receivers with only 0.7 line out voltage and power amps with input sensitivities in the 2.2 to 2.4 volts range. In these cases a preamp was required, as the gain structure was out of bounds. So it will not always be straightforward floating lines. I have had to do that often and you absolutely can not guarantee plug and play.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

You may have been lucky and have had the right cables. However, you can order the correct cable. XLR to RCA and RCA to XLR are different cables and both are available. So you likely had RCA to XLR cables, which is the most common.

However we have had members with some Yamaha receivers with only 0.7 line out voltage and power amps with input sensitivities in the 2.2 to 2.4 volts range. In these cases a preamp was required, as the gain structure was out of bounds. So it will not always be straightforward floating lines. I have had to do that often and you absolutely can not guarantee plug and play.

If the cable doesn’t work, simply return it for another cable.

@JerryLove said he’s been doing this for a decade. Some of my friends have also done this - I gave them my XLR-RCA cables since I don’t use them anymore. So I think it’s rare if it doesn’t work.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Either are very good specs.

Not for Amir, who wants THD in the 0.00x digits. So 0.0x THD is just bad engineering products that can’t match a cheap $25 dongle.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not for Amir, who wants THD in the 0.00x digits. So 0.0x THD is just bad engineering products that can’t match a cheap $25 dongle.

Amir is kinda weird like that. Bad or less complex engineering (in the dongle)?

 

[PENG]

ASR just measured the Anthem 1120. Preout looked a little better than the AV8805, no balanced output though. IMD did not look as good.

 

[snakeeyes]

Not for Amir, who wants THD in the 0.00x digits. So 0.0x THD is just bad engineering products that can’t match a cheap $25 dongle.

What make / model is this $25 one he likes?

 

[lovinthehd]

What make / model is this $25 one he likes?

Last one I remember is this one, altho $45. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/meizu-hifi-pro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/

 

[lovinthehd]

@snakeeyes keep in mind Amir has a specific definition of dongle, too (the presence of the short cord doing the dongling as well as the usb connection ).

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Last one I remember is this one, altho $45. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/meizu-hifi-pro-usb-c-phone-dongle-dac-review.10423/

They probably jacked up the price of that “dongle” after the review since it measured better than AVP’s that cost $5K.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

ASR just measured the Anthem 1120. Preout looked a little better than the AV8805, no balanced output though. IMD did not look as good.

Did you see Amir putting the Emotiva RMC-1 at #1 now In that SINAD chart? How did that happen?

I thought the Monolith HTP-1 had a SINAD of 102dB at 2.7V? Does he only compare at 4V now?

He needs to be consistent. Why not compare the RMC-1 at 2.7V and see the results?

Basically, manufacturers (like Emotiva) can now duplicate Amir’s results at 4V (not 2.7V or 3V) and tweak their AVPs and AVRs so that they can measure like $25 or $45 dongles and move up the ASR chart to #1.

Emo duplicated ASR’s results, then tweaked their RMC-1, now it’s ranked#1. Now EMO has 2 products ranked #1 and #2.

As I’ve said before, for years manufacturers have tweaked their products to measure well for HTM, S&V, Stereophile, Soundstage, AH, etc. Could they now do the same for ASR? Or do they still consider ASR irrelevant or insignificant?

 

[PENG]

Did you see Amir putting the Emotiva RMC-1 at #1 now In that SINAD chart? How did that happen?

I thought the Monolith HTP-1 had a SINAD of 102dB at 2.7V? Does he only compare at 4V now?

He needs to be consistent. Why not compare the RMC-1 at 2.7V and see the results?

Basically, manufacturers (like Emotiva) can now duplicate Amir’s results at 4V (not 2.7V or 3V) and tweak their AVPs and AVRs so that they can measure like $25 or $45 dongles and move up the ASR chart to #1.

Emo duplicated ASR’s results, then tweaked their RMC-1, now it’s ranked#1. Now EMO has 2 products ranked #1 and #2.

As I’ve said before, for years manufacturers have tweaked their products to measure well for HTM, S&V, Stereophile, Soundstage, AH, etc. Could they now do the same for ASR? Or do they still consider ASR irrelevant or insignificant?

I suggested to him about consistency but I doubt he would do much about that as there is only 24 hours a day. That's why I am setting my own ranking chart. The Anthem scored good as prepro but not so much as an AVR, surprisingly.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well, hopefully Audioholics will be doing more AVP/AVR/Amp measurements.

 

[beanz690]

You may be confused about what the guy at McIntosh said.

There is a correct protocol for doing this. We have this post again and again, and I'm loosing count as to how many times I have gone over the correct procedure.

This is the correct wiring going from RCA to XLR.

So to go RCA to XLR like you wan't to do you need the top connection.

On the other hand if you are going XLR to RCA you need the lower connection. These are what is known as floating lines.

However line voltage XLR is around 2 volts and for RCA I volt. So there is a 3 db discrepancy. This may require an active converter if this imbalance of gain structure is an issue.

I wonder if a mod could make this a sticky as I'm tired of having to go over this again and again.

Thanks TLS guy,

I definitely don't have the skill to build my own cables nor did I want to disassemble the ones I already have. I just confirmed with monoprice and their cable is wired like your top image. so I guess I am good!

 

[beanz690]

Are stereo pre amps with HT bypass better than a HT pre/pro for music?
Should I look at a stereo pre amp now or just save for something like the yamaha cx-a5200?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Are stereo pre amps with HT bypass better than a HT pre/pro for music?
Should I look at a stereo pre amp now or just save for something like the yamaha cx-a5200?

Stereo Preamps and Integrated Amps do NOT sound any better than Pre-pros or AVRs for Music.