Hello!
I'm thinking on buying an Oppo HA-1 to use it as my main DAC/Preamp. I want to use its "balanced" 4 pin mini XLR output to use the Class A headphone amplifier as my main line level output. I know the Oppo HA-1 has standard XLR to output line level signal, but this signal is turned into line level with common Opamps, and my goal is to use the discrete class A amplifier.
As far as I know, to be honest, not much, a balanced connection should have the hot, the ground and the return, as any standard XLR connection.
The 4 pin mini XLR that's supposed to be a balanced output in the Oppo's HA-1 frontpanel has only 4 pins (total) for both left and right channels. I searched around the web for an adapter and could not find anything like that, but a 4 pin (not-mini) XLR to dual 3 pin XLR at Audeze's website which, at 70USD, IMHO, costs a fortune.
Is the 4 pin mini XLR built to transport the hot and return signal for each channel? If yes, in order to make an adapter, would I have to buy 2 standard XLR and solder the return and hot properly leaving the ground free? If it's not right, how can I proceed?
And well, just to achieve more knowledge... can a connection without ground be called balanced?
Thanks for your attention and sorry for bad english!
Peace,
Eduardo Barth.
