So I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of LFR1100's and an ADA1500-4 to drive them, and traded in a few of the speakers I had accumulated along the way.

At the time I ordered I hadn't realized that the optional XLR version of the DSP also included RCA in/out - thought it was one OR the other and my pre-amp doesn't have balanced outputs.

Predictably, I'm on the fence now re: whether it's worth upgrading to the XLR/RCA version so that I can run balanced cables between DSP and amplifier.

My first thought was "I don't live in a high-electrical-noise environment and the cable runs will be short" but that was quickly replaced with "it would be nice if I could keep most of the equipment closer to listening position, put the amp on the floor or a low stand between the speakers, and run 10-15 foot cables from the DSP to the amp.

Any suggestions on this ? Are any of you using balanced connections in their audio system today ? Am I better off with long DSP-to-amp cables or amp-to-speaker cables ? Am I over-thinking this ?

Thanks...

Congrats! Did you consider an integrated box with DSP and amp?

Thanks... I've been wanting to try the LFR1100s for a while now.

When I started entering the order the plan was DSP with integrated amp - it seemed like too good a deal to pass up and I don't play at very high volumes - but in the end I weakened and went with the ADA1500-4.

If you believe that speaker cables need to cost $1500 then you need balanced all the way. If not then your good to go with the RCA

Does that mean you're not buying LFRs?

Sorry, LFR1100's plus ADA1500...

ADA1500 instead of the ADA1000 integrated into the DSP.

Congrats! Mine are still going strong, and I do love how the sound seems great across all seating positions in the times I'm not in the direct center. Because of how easy they were to place for good sound, however, I haven't spent much time playing with their positioning. One of these days I should really spend some hours dialing them in further.

I'm only using XLR connections between subwoofers, and it all starts with an RCA from my receiver, so I'm not actually getting a real balanced run. When I had an Integra pre-pro, it did noticeably reduce the noise I was hearing, but I don't currently have an issue with any hum, even just using RCAs. It probably helped having new electrical runs to the basement, with three dedicated circuits going to my HT/PC/network equipment. That being said, I prefer the XLR connections just because they're so much easier to connect and disconnect, as I've ruined RCA connections in the past with how much effort it took to remove the cables.