Help! RCA to XLR

JackStraw · 09-15-01, 08:38 PM

I know a few of you are somewhat knowledgeable in audio stuff and I didn't know where else to put this.
Here's my dilemma.
I aquired two JBL Eon powered speakers. The only input they have is balanced XLR.
I am trying to output directly from my mixer which only has RCA outs. (which are unbalanced by nature)

I've been to Guitar center 3 times trying to get the right cables. I have found finally what I thought to be the right cables.. RCA to XLR. The connection is made but the speaker can't do anything with it, doesn't think that anything's connected. I just get very low sound that the mixer outputs, the speaker's powered amps aren't kicking in.
I think what I need to do is rewire the XLR connector.

The XLR end of the cable is Pin 2 hot (tip of the RCA) and pins 1 and 3 to ground (the cuff of the RCA).

Here is the wiring diagram for the speakers:

Now, it appears that pins 2 and 3 are what I would need to be looking at, but I don't know diagrams so I can't tell which would be positive and which would be ground. If pin 2 is hot on the diagram, then something else is wrong... (the speaker needs balanced input, I'm assuming..)

This is pissing me off, can anyone bring any ideas?

09-15-01, 08:38 PM	#1
JackStraw Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 70	Help! RCA to XLR I know a few of you are somewhat knowledgeable in audio stuff and I didn't know where else to put this. Here's my dilemma. I aquired two JBL Eon powered speakers. The only input they have is balanced XLR. I am trying to output directly from my mixer which only has RCA outs. (which are unbalanced by nature) I've been to Guitar center 3 times trying to get the right cables. I have found finally what I thought to be the right cables.. RCA to XLR. The connection is made but the speaker can't do anything with it, doesn't think that anything's connected. I just get very low sound that the mixer outputs, the speaker's powered amps aren't kicking in. I think what I need to do is rewire the XLR connector. The XLR end of the cable is Pin 2 hot (tip of the RCA) and pins 1 and 3 to ground (the cuff of the RCA). Here is the wiring diagram for the speakers: Now, it appears that pins 2 and 3 are what I would need to be looking at, but I don't know diagrams so I can't tell which would be positive and which would be ground. If pin 2 is hot on the diagram, then something else is wrong... (the speaker needs balanced input, I'm assuming..) This is pissing me off, can anyone bring any ideas?