Confused confused confused...
The more I read about it, the more confused I get.
Unbalanced audio:
- tip carries signal/live
- sleeve has, as I see it, double function:
--> ties the grounds together, so it makes the grounds of outgoing and incoming device equal (which is necessary if one of both devices is "floating", like a 2-prong powered synth)
--> provides a current return path: since current has to flow in a closed loop, one has to provide a current return path for the audio signal.
Balanced audio (with opamps instead of transformers):
- tip carries signal
- ring carries signal inverted
- ground connects both chassis (thereby also making ground potentials of both devices equal, correct?) and should - as I've read - under normal circumstances not carry any audio current (asside from unwanted noise currents).
So if in balanced audio you have 2 wires carrying the signal (+ and inverted) and 1 (non-current-carrying) wire connecting both chassis and current has to flow in a closed loop, where's the audio current return path??
Got most info from here: http://sound.westhost.com/articles/balanced-2.htm and here: https://www.presonus.com/news/articles/balanced-unbalanced
The more I read about it, the more confused I get.
Unbalanced audio:
- tip carries signal/live
- sleeve has, as I see it, double function:
--> ties the grounds together, so it makes the grounds of outgoing and incoming device equal (which is necessary if one of both devices is "floating", like a 2-prong powered synth)
--> provides a current return path: since current has to flow in a closed loop, one has to provide a current return path for the audio signal.
Balanced audio (with opamps instead of transformers):
- tip carries signal
- ring carries signal inverted
- ground connects both chassis (thereby also making ground potentials of both devices equal, correct?) and should - as I've read - under normal circumstances not carry any audio current (asside from unwanted noise currents).
So if in balanced audio you have 2 wires carrying the signal (+ and inverted) and 1 (non-current-carrying) wire connecting both chassis and current has to flow in a closed loop, where's the audio current return path??
Got most info from here: http://sound.westhost.com/articles/balanced-2.htm and here: https://www.presonus.com/news/articles/balanced-unbalanced