How to connect an internal "ESI Maya 44ex Soundcard" with "Presonus Eris 3.5 gen2" PC-Speakers?

[Gabriel_West]

Which kind of balanced 6,35mm-Y-cable do I need for that purpose, to get the best possible sound-quality on this simple setup? [see snapshot below] Thx for your help

ESI Maya 44ex + Creative Inspire T10 pic.jpg

[Pictus]

Updated: wrong cable!

Look at the manual page 9/10
https://download.esi-audiotechnik.com/d ... nglish.pdf
The output is unbalanced, you need something like this
https://www.amazon.com/TISINO-Gold-Plat ... B07HFBWP87

[Fannon]

Huh, this doesn't look right to me. The outputs on the ESI look more like 6.3 TRRS cables, so no mini-jacks (the link points to a 3.5 mini jack adapter).

You'll need a 6.3 TRRS Jack to stereo chinch. I wonder if you can also use the balanced inputs as unbalanced inputs? You could check the manual of your monitors. If yes, a 6.3 TRRS Jack to 2x 6.3 TRS might be a bit more stable.

[BertKoor]

I'd take a 6.3mm Y-splitter cable with one TRS on one side and two TS on the other. Just plug them into the balanced inputs. It shorts ground & cold, but that's ok. Never heard it's not ok, but it might give a 3dB quieter signal.
Otherwise: insert more adapters or get out your soldering kit.

But do consider how far your monitors are apart.
So best choice is one short stereo -> dual-mono splitter and two 6.3mm TS -> RCA cables.

Also do check manuals: are the expected levels the same on balanced/unbalanced inputs of the monitors? Is it consumer or pro level on the interface outputs? +/- 4 or 10 dB or so is the difference.

[Pictus]

Huh, this doesn't look right to me. The outputs on the ESI look more like 6.3 TRRS cables, so no mini-jacks (the link points to a 3.5 mini jack adapter).

You are right!

You'll need a 6.3 TRRS Jack to stereo chinch. I wonder if you can also use the balanced inputs as unbalanced inputs? You could check the manual of your monitors. If yes, a 6.3 TRRS Jack to 2x 6.3 TRS might be a bit more stable.

From https://www.aviom.com/blog/balanced-vs-unbalanced/
It’s important to note that using a balanced cable on an unbalanced signal gives you no benefits. The jacks on the gear on both ends of the cable must be designed for balanced signals as well; otherwise there’s no circuitry to do the polarity inversion that produces the noise cancellation. On the flip side, however, using an unbalanced cable with gear that expects balanced signals will “work” (in the sense that audio will go from point A to point B), but the signal will be unbalanced and susceptible to the same noise as any unbalanced signals. Check the documentation of your gear (or the labels on the gear itself, near the jacks) to determine what type of signal a given jack is designed to support, if you’re not certain.

[jdnz]

I actually had the earlier PCI version and just checked the manual for the 44ex - as on the earlier model those connectors are UNBALANCED TRS - refer to page 9 of the manual https://download.esi-audiotechnik.com/d ... nglish.pdf

to connect to your speakers you need a 6.3mm TRS to 2 * 6.3mm TS y-cable - or you can do what I did and use a 6.3mm to 3.5mm TRS adaptor and a 3.5 trs to 2 * RCA cable ( since there's no real advantage to using unbalanced 6.3mm TS over RCA )

[Gabriel_West]

Thx all of you guys for your advices and detailed answers, @fannon @BertKoor @Pictus @jdnz so that everything is pretty much clearified now. P.S.: A couple of days ago, I was also consulting the official german manufactor company of ESI to ask the same question from above and also got a quick 'n very helpful response with the following words, that might be of interest for you / +helpful for later topic- readers: .. ->

Quote Start -> " The ESI MAYA44 eX has unbalanced inputs and outputs, each of the 4 jack connections has 2 channels. For example, the jack connection LINE output 1/2 is left & right. You therefore need a Y-adapter (cable) from 6.3mm stereo jack to 2x MONO jack. This adapter is also shown in the manual (page 9) of the MAYA44 eX. Instead of an adapter, it is better to use a cable, here from Cordial with 1.5m or 3m " <- Quote End - (translated from german into english)

..guess their advice/answer in terms to that matter, is definitely worth to poste here as later reference for some other guys that purchased the same audio-hardware components without being 100% sure how to connect them, so I did it)
.. and here is a picture of the cable that he recommanded me for that purpose: ->

Cordial CFY 1,5 VPP Insert-cable.png

<- Full cable Modelname of this example: Cordial CFY 1,5 VPP Insert-cable ->
(other decent models might be fine as well of course)

Thx again, that everything now is fully solved !!

[BertKoor]

Top left arrow labelled "Left" points to the plug marked red? Usually Red means Right and the other (white or black) is for the Left channel.

In the picture it is very hard to see where exactly the split is. I have several of these Y-splitter cables. These are primarily designed for "channel insert" points on a mixing console: combined send & return for effects. Some of my 19" rack effects have the send & return jacks so far apart that the splitter cable can barely reach it. I think your monitors are further apart than 19", so be careful what you buy. Of the two mono plugs one has to go to the left and the other to the right monitor. So the split point better be right at the single stereo plug, not near the two mono plugs. (making it rather a V-cable than a Y-cable)

[yoursoul]

do you think the presonus eris sound good? i tested them and wondered who would ever use those. maybe its my room... no attack, just curious!

[Gabriel_West]

Top left arrow labelled "Left" points to the plug marked red? Usually Red means Right and the other (white or black) is for the Left channel.
In the picture it is very hard to see where exactly the split is.

You're right @BertKoor, the pointing direction of the arrows was indeed a bit misleading, so I've put up a new corrected / less confusing image now, that furthermore covers the cable setup more precisely with additional reference-markings and illustrations, that are relevant for this clarification-purpose, see below. (Hope it's clear and unmisleading enough now to function as a proper helpful guide for later topic readers)

Cordial CFY 1,5 VPP Insert-cable.jpg

[Gabriel_West]

do you think the presonus eris sound good? i tested them and wondered who would ever use those. maybe its my room... no attack, just curious!

Well, as for 75-100€ / 75-100$ Budget Speakers, I guess, they should be fine according to various reviews on the web and in fact I'm on a lower budget for now, so I had to pick speakers of this prize-category and u know, if they are at least a clear improvement over my older '40-50€ Creative Inspire T10' Speakers, I'm ok with 'em for now. (They will arrive in like 5-7 days at my home) P.S.: I better not tell, that I was once using cheap 1$ / 1€ Budget Speakers .. lol .. that had the 'timbre of a bathroom'.. oops, I just did now )

Of course, I know, you can't compare the presonus eris 3.5 with very expensive high budget speakers, nor expect them to sound as brilliant as these professional high budget ones. May I ask, what kind of speakers you are using / prefering and which ones you were testing? According to your words, it sounded like, the outcome of that test you had with that presonus speakers weren't that satisfying for you.

[yoursoul]

Well, as for 75-100€ / 75-100$ Budget Speakers, I guess, they should be fine according to various reviews on the web and in fact I'm on a lower budget for now, so I had to pick speakers of this prize-category and u know, if they are at least a clear improvement over my older '40-50€ Creative Inspire T10' Speakers, I'm ok with 'em for now. (They will arrive in like 5-7 days at my home) P.S.: I better not tell, that I was once using cheap 1$ / 1€ Budget Speakers .. lol .. that had the 'timbre of a bathroom'.. oops, I just did now )

i dont know the t10, but by the look of it, the presonus should definitely be an improvement. i hope they sound good in your room, so you enjoy them!

May I ask, what kind of speakers you are using / prefering and which ones you were testing? According to your words, it sounded like, the outcome of that test you had with that presonus speakers weren't that satisfying for you.

ok, my story: i had very cheap 2.1 logitech speakers for many years, many years ago. because of the sub and my low expectations, they were fine for enjoying music, mainly because of the sub. not at all flat/neutral as monitors should be. so for a clean mix i think the presonus still would be better. but for enjoying the music and the vibe, i would prefer the logitech still, personally.

the thing is: i dont really care about clean mixes as music is just a hobby and i make it for me +rough mixes sound nice to me. and... i should not even tell this too, but this is is why i just use a marshall bluetooth box (acton 2) for producing! they sound good to me. and some marshall major iv headphones that i also use for listening when i walk around outdoors.

i tried semi-professional relatively low budget studio equipment, but sold my dt700 headphones, because they were not comfortable and also tried out krk rokit g4 for a few months. the krks sounded really well but my small room couldnt handle these and they produced resonances in the low end that sounded horrible and i lost the fun in producing. sold them too.

and after the next attempt to try monitors, i tried the presonus and now come back again to my marshall-hifi-equipment that doesnt translate mixes well, but at least sounds good to me and brings me fun!

so yea, very professional feedback from my side.