9 Differences Between Custom XLR Cable And RCA Cables

The discovery of electricity has changed how we live-technology brought in speed and comfort. And audio had a great role to play in this. Be it a movie or song or important presentations, and the cables need to our needs.

These cables connect various electronic devices and transmit audio signals. You may need custom-made XLR and RCA cables to suit your needs and requirements. Worry not!

CLOOM Tech offers you custom-made cables, XLR, or RCA. We ensure it suits the requirements of your projects. Today, we will talk about how you can get customized XLR and RCA cables on a platter. Before grabbing the wire, know the differences between XLR and RCA cables.

XLR Cable A semi-realistic vector illustration

1.XLR Cable And RCA Cables-Pins On The Connector

First off, what do RCA and XLR stand for?

RCA denotes the Radio Corporation of America, XLR denotes the External Line Return Cable; both are electrical connectors.

You will find XLR cable on professional audio, video, and stage lighting setup. The XLR cable has three pins- positive, negative, and ground and circular connectors, the pins on the two sides face the male- connector and female connector.

The one in the middle (Pin 1) is always the ground signal on the XLR pinout. RCA cable has only one pin. The pins help in transmitting balanced or unbalanced signals.

RCA cables

2.Sound Transfer Over Distance

XLR cables pass balanced audio, and the RCA cable transmits unbalanced audio. If you want to connect your guitar to a nearby amplifier, you may go for RCA cables. It carries signals using two wires- a sign and a ground.  The signal wire sends the audio signal to the destination. The ground wire is like a reference line. But along the way, it picks up unwanted noise from the surrounding. So it is best suited for short-distance audio transfer.

XLR cables can send balanced audio signals over long distances. Along with the ground, two wires carry the copies of the message of opposite polarity. They are Hot and Cold wires. As the cold wire gets to the end of the cable, the signal polarity reverses. The two signals are in sync now. As the signals move, they pick up noise but get canceled due to CMRR (Common Mode Rejection Ratio).

Audio-video cable RCA to 3.5mm jack

3.XLR Cable And RCA Cables-Voltage Signal

The spectrum of voltage that the cables transmit also varies. While XLR cables can carry signals of the energy of 4V, RCA cables can send signals of 2V. The 4V is the signal difference between the two voltage signals applied at the two wires. Each sign has a max amplitude of 2 V.

XLR cables

4.Conversion

You may change an RCA cable to a balanced XLR cable using suitable cheap adapters. Connect the signal from the center pin of the RCA plug to the hot pin of the XLR cable. Then connect the earth wire to the ground. But if you attempt to convert XLR to RCA, you will lose all the noise reduction benefits. You will get unbalanced audio signals: XLR cables generally carry 4V audio signals, and RCA can transfer 2V signals. It is difficult to control the loudness in XLR to RCA conversion.

Three RCA male plugs

5. XLR Cable And RCA Cables-Podcasting Studio

If podcasting is what attracts you, then focus on high-quality content and audio. The signal should be free from noise, have high audio quality, and be a balanced signal. You will, of course, not want a cheap cable to ruin the quality of your audio. XLR cable excels in noise reduction, which will enhance the quality of your audio chain in your podcast. It is because of these facts that XLR cables are also known as microphone cables.

Podcasting with XLR cables

6.Stereo Sound System

A stereo sound system can create an effect of multidirectional sound sources. RCA cables can handle the stereo sound system better than any XLR cable; cables can connect VCRs, DVD players, or TV sets. RCA cables are the simplest and the best way of connecting your TV set to external speakers, and RCAs can carry only stereo sound.

It will enable you to get a superior experience of a movie on a TV or a laptop. The RCAs carry two channels- left and right. Red and white usually mark the two cables. These cables connect the output port of the TV to the input port of the speakers. You can also use RCA cables to produce high-quality stereo sound in your car.

RCA stereo and composite video

7.Recording Studio

Do you have a recording studio? Are you looking to get clear audio? Sure, you can get a great microphone. Or the top-quality machine. The one thing you cannot miss out on, though, is an XLR cable.

XLR cables have gained the popularity of microphone cables, and they carry a balanced audio signal. They reduce noise by using Common Mode Rejection Ratio technology. Thus, the quality of the signal it carries is better.

In recording houses, you do not want to compromise on the quality of sound.  Recording studios would like to eliminate all surrounding noise, focusing on extracting good-quality audio signals. XLR cables, with their 3-pin design, can meet the requirements of recording studios. You will feel the difference as soon as you use it.

Audio Cables

8.Home Theatre Setup

Perfect matches give the best experience. Adorned your home with a high-quality home theatre? It would help if you didn’t focus on the video alone. Sure, 4K looks excellent. But what about the audio? Wouldn’t you want some great surround sound?

It would help if you used some quality cable to get the proper audio signals. Otherwise, the quality of the sound produced will not be as excellent. Poor cables will allow a lot of unwanted noise to interfere and degrade the sound quality. Weak links in your audio system will not let you enjoy the music to its full extent. RCA cables are perfect for in-home theatres.

They do not let noise hamper the sound, as audio transmission in home theatres is over a short distance. RCA cables allow you to optimize your sound system without exceeding your budget. The shielding around the cable will prevent electromagnetic and radio interference. RCA cables will let you enjoy sound music and clear pictures of the home theatre. You may need eight audio channels of RCA for this, but a single XLR cable cannot handle home theatres.

Home theatre with RCA cables

9.Live Performance

Are you looking to set up a stage? You wouldn’t want things to go wrong.

You need no noise interruptions-high sound quality. Balanced signals. Long-distance transmissions. And your stage is all set to unfurl the curtains. Live music shows, open-air theatres, or stand-up comedy shows; the audience loves good sound quality. And what better than XLLR cables? The cables meet all the above conditions and more.

Connect them to good-quality speakers and amplifiers. Watch the live performance rock. Feel the crowd going awestruck by the sound. XLR cables make the sound loud, noise-free, booming, clear, crisp, and pleasant to the crowd.

Audio cabling comes in these two basic analog cables- XLR cables and RCA cables. RCA bears out in the home theatre and stereo sound system, and it also works great in other short-distance audio transfers. Also, XLR cables go a long way in noise reduction, and they top the list in recording studios and podcast stations.

The cable-type depends on the purpose you will use it for, and the specifications depend on the applications of the cable. RCA and XLR, both these types of cable, find great use in projects.

Get the Custom XLR And RCA Cables You Are Looking For!

Avail of custom-made cables that meet your project needs and suit the demands. Make your projects par excellence. The demands of musicians and recording houses differ, and live events organizers and home theatre enthusiasts are looking for something different.

Conclusion

Only one unique key can open a lock. Do it with CLOOM Tech. We have got a unique cable for a particular problem. Let CLOOM Tech make your project stand out. And let us do it in time.