Whats the difference between a balanced and an unbalanced signal?
An unbalanced line uses two wires (called Hot and Ground) to transmit the signal. It is only designed for short cable runs (no more than 5m), and is susceptible to picking up interference from other electrical sources. If using unbalanced lines, make sure they do not run alongside electrical mains cables (or other sources of interference), instead they should always cross them at 90°, but preferably be as far away from them as possible. A balanced line uses three wires (Hot, Cold and Ground), and can be used for much longer cable runs. It is a much more reliable way to transmit signals, and can be used for significantly longer cable runs.
