Unbalanced Audio Cables

Traditional unbalanced cables use two lines to transmit the audio signal - a hot line which carries the signal and an earth line. This is all that is required to transmit audio and is common in short cables (where noise is less of a problem) and less professional applications.

Note: Internal componentry (in sound mixers etc) is also unbalanced.

Unbalanced Audio Connectors

Unbalanced audio cables are commonly associated with the 1/4" phono jack connector and the RCA connector. However any single-pin connector used for audio is unbalanced. 3-pin XLRs can also be used for unbalanced cables. For more information about these connectors, including how to wire them, see Audio Connections.

1/4" phono

RCA

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