AES cables terminated with Neutrik EMC XLR's

[themarqueeyears]

I had a tech friend make me up some AES cables.

He used Sommer Binary 234 110 ohm cable and terminated them each end with Neutrik EMC XLR's (Neutrik NC3 M/F XX-EMC)

I recently bought a ready made AES cable from Designcable and it came with 110 ohm cable but was terminated from standard Neutrik plugs (gold plated pins)

This led me to wonder if their might be an issue using EMC XLR's with an AES line?

I checked the spec and the plug contains a capacitor and EMI suppression device.

The spec's read -

The NC3MXX-EMC from Neutrik is a 3 pole male EMC-XLR cable connector. This latch lock device is specifically designed version of the XX series to give enhanced RF screening for critical applications in live performance and recording where there are particular problems with radio transmission or mobile phones. The design guarantees a continuous RF shield connection from the cable to the chassis connector housing via a circular capacitor around the cable shield. The circular capacitors act as high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency around 10MHz and avoid ground loops as there is no LF-shield connection to ground.

Are these EMC XLR's an issue for use with an AES line (RME RayDAT to Z systems AES patchbay)

Are those extra components causing any issues with the AES data stream?

Or am I ok to use them?

Thank you.

[Hugh Robjohns]

This led me to wonder if their might be an issue using EMC XLR's with an AES line?

Have you experienced any issues?

I checked the spec and the plug contains a capacitor and EMI suppression device.

Pretty much, yes. In most cases the XLR shell is not connected to pin 1, mostly to avoid creating ground loops in legacy gear.

However, there is an argument that says this approach leaves the signal conductors unshielded within the shell, especially if XLRs are joined together to extend a cable.

Neutrik's EMC connectors use a ring capacitor to couple the cable shield on pin1 to the shell to extend and maintain the RF shielding but, being a small capacitor, it still prevents any risk of audio frequency ground loops.

This ring capacitor has no effect whatsoever on the transmission of analogue audio or AES3 digital audio. However, it can help to reduce interference getting into the cable in extreme conditions, and in theory could also help reduce interference from the AES3 stream getting out to affect other sensitive equipment.

Or am I ok to use them?

Yes, they are fine to use. Actually, they are the best technical standard... but they are also pricey compared to standard XLRs, and the benefit is marginal in all but the most RF-hostile of environments, so few people bother.

[themarqueeyears]

As ever thank you Hugh for a great reply and great informative extra info - it’s always greatly appreciated.

I’ve had no issues, and it’s great to know I can keep using them as I have three and to replace them would cost £36 per cable.

So all round - good news and I have the confidence to keep using them.

Thank you.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Learn to solder your own cables. Two XLRs will cost about £6 and a few meters of cable another £4... So that's a third the price for ten minutes work....

[themarqueeyears]

I used to, but my 60 year old eyes aren’t what they used to be.

Perhaps I need one of those solder stations with a magnifying glass on an arm.

[Drew Stephenson]

Learn to solder your own cables. Two XLRs will cost about £6 and a few meters of cable another £4... So that's a third the price for ten minutes work....

Out of curiousity, where are you getting two decent XLRs for £6 these days?

[Wonks]

His local unicorn farm sells them.

[Wonks]

CPC do male Neutrik XLRs for £3.08 ex VAT, £3.70 inc VAT. Discounts for bulk.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I used to, but my 60 year old eyes aren’t what they used to be.

Perhaps I need one of those solder stations with a magnifying glass on an arm.

Mine are older... and I have to use cheapo reading glasses these days for soldering, but I find they work very well.

I dont enjoy soldering D-subs or anything smaller, but XLRs and jacks are still very easy.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Out of curiousity, where are you getting two decent XLRs for £6 these days?

Okay... the prices have gone up a bit since the last time I bought a load, and I'm VAT registered which obviously brings the price down too.

Neutrik XX 3-pins are currently £3.35 and £3.97 (male/female) ex VAT from CPC (who are often the cheapest UK supplier) if you buy ten each... which I do — I rarely build one cable at a time and I like to have a small stock of connectors on the shelf available for instant use!

So I'll update my statement to £7.32 a pair rather than £6. My bad.

For regular consumers with VAT it's £4.02 and £4.76, so still under £9 a set.

Canford HST 1-pair screened mic cable is £1.58 per meter (ex VAT), so a 5m length cable costs £7.90, or £9.48 with VAT.

But if you buy a 100m cable reel for stock — as I do — it comes down to £1.26/m, or £6.30 for a 5m cable (ex VAT).

Obviously, there's shipping to add too... unless you buy enough to get free shipping, which I try to do.

And there's the overheads of the tools, soldering iron, solder sleeving, etc... but my tools are mostly 40-50 years old so cost very little per cable made!

So a complete 5m cable would currently cost about £15 all done.. and my point remains the same.... it is much cheaper to build (and repair) your own cables — especially if you do a group buy with some mates.

[Drew Stephenson]

CPC do male Neutrik XLRs for £3.08 ex VAT, £3.70 inc VAT. Discounts for bulk.

Okay... the prices have gone up a bit since the last time I bought a load, and I'm VAT registered which obviously brings the price down too.

Neutrik XX 3-pins are currently £3.35 and £3.97 (male/female) ex VAT from CPC (who are often the cheapest UK supplier) if you buy ten each... which I do — I rarely build one cable at a time and I like to have a small stock of connectors on the shelf available for instant use!

So I'll update my statement to £7.32 a pair rather than £6. My bad.

For regular consumers with VAT it's £4.02 and £4.76, so still under £9 a set.

Close enough for me! Thank you both.

[themarqueeyears]

I just bought 2x db25 to TRS 4m
16x TT Bantam to XLR 2m

All Nuetrik connectors and Van Damme cable.

From Designcable …. It wasn’t cheap!

But there’s no way I would solder db25’s and TT Bantams, with the best will in the world I’m just not up to the task anymore.

Custom cables are expensive, it is what it is.