I want to hook up my Audioengine A5 speakers to my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 external USB interface. The Scarlett has 4 1/4 line output jacks: https://media.sweetwater.com/store/manu … s/iov3.jpg
The A6’s has a single 1/8 mini plug input jack. I believe it is TRS.
That would be a male 1/8 TRS to 2 male 1/4 TS. Would that work?
Ok I just read the frigging manual. It says that with the outputs of the 6i6, you can use TS for unbalanced and TRS for balanced. What does that mean in relation to the A5’s TRS input jack? Should the 2 male 1/4 jacks be TS or TRS?
You can’t use TRS. A TRS balanced output has a mono signal between the tip and the shield, and the inverse of that signal on the ring. A balanced input can use the two signals to cancel out any induced noise in the cable from the actual signal.
The A5 has a 1/8 stereo TRS input - unbalanced Left on the tip, unbalanced Right in the ring, and shield.
Unless you have a long run from your Focusrite, use unbalanced cables. Otherwise you need balanced to unbalanced conversion as close to the speakers as possible - unpowered or powered DI units, one per channel.