CD players with balanced AES/EBU digital output

 

— the term "balanced" denotes a special mode of operation of the connecting cable: the features of this mode are such that the cable itself plays the role of a noise filter, and its length can be quite large. The balanced connection itself can be used for different types of data, but here we are talking about digital transmission via the AES / EBU interface — this is a professional standard used mainly in premium-level audio equipment. It is worth noting that this interface uses an XLR connector, but you should not confuse it with an XLR output (see the relevant paragraph) — these standards are fundamentally different and not compatible with each other.