Wiring Method for XLR Plugs and Sockets

This article takes a closer look at XLR plug and socket wiring. XLR plugs come in two types: male and female. First, we at Ningbo Zhuosheng'ao Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. would like to present some of our XLR plug products, as follows:

From the two XLR plug/socket products shown above, it is clear that they (also called XLR plugs) have three pins, labeled 1, 2, and 3. Every XLR plug is clearly marked with these numbers.

A standard XLR cable usually consists of one male and one female connector joined by a two-conductor cable. The cable shield is soldered to pin 1 (ground), while pins 2 and 3 are soldered to the two conductors respectively. This is the balanced wiring configuration. When using a condenser microphone, this type of cable is required. In this case, phantom power is sent to the microphone via pin 3, and the microphone signal is sent to the mixer or preamp via pin 2. Pin 1 is, of course, grounded.

XLR-to-TRS cables are also commonly used. Their wiring is similar to the above, except that one end uses an XLR connector (male or female depending on the situation) and the other end uses a TRS plug (also known as a 1/4" TRS plug). Take an XLR male connector as an example: An XLR-to-TS cable is an unbalanced wiring configuration. It uses an XLR connector on one end and a TS plug (also known as a 1/4" TS plug) on the other. This is the type of cable used for karaoke microphones. Since karaoke microphones are usually dynamic and do not require power, pin 3 of the XLR connector should be grounded (connected to pin 1), pin 2 is the hot terminal, and pin 1 connects to the cable shield. As shown in the figure:

We hope this article on XLR plug wiring is helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to consult our professional customer service.