Hosa STX-105M Balanced Interconnect Cable — 1/4-Inch TRS Male to XLR Male, 5 Feet

Hosa STX-105M: The Right Cable to Connect an Interface to a Powered Studio Monitor

The Hosa STX-105M is a 5-foot balanced interconnect terminating in a stereo 1/4-inch TRS male on one end and a 3-pin XLR male on the other. It is purpose-built for one of the most common studio connections — an audio interface's balanced 1/4-inch TRS monitor output mated to an active studio monitor's balanced XLR input. The cable uses Oxygen-Free Copper conductors with an OFC spiral shield, terminated in nickel-plated plugs that grip the receiving connector firmly.

Why TRS to XLR Male — And Why It Matters at Desk Wiring Time

Most interfaces in the project-studio class — Scarlett 2i2, Apollo Twin, MOTU M2, Behringer UMC — output to 1/4-inch TRS jacks. Most active studio monitors — Adam Audio T8V, Yamaha HS8, KRK Rokit 8, JBL 308 — accept balanced XLR input on the back panel. Without an adapter or a soldered run, the only clean connection is a TRS-to-XLR-male cable like the STX-105M. Buying two of these covers a stereo monitor pair. The balanced signal path cancels common-mode hum and RF — the kind of buzz that appears when a power supply, a USB hub, or a fluorescent fixture is near the desk.

5-Foot Length — The Right Size for a Desktop Setup

The 5-foot length is sized for the typical desktop monitoring layout — interface on the desk, monitors flanking the screen at left and right. Too short and the monitors have to sit close to the interface; too long and the slack lies in coiled loops behind the desk picking up noise. Five feet covers from a centered interface to a monitor stand or speaker 3 feet to either side without strain on the connector. Buyers in larger rooms can stack two cables but rarely need to.

Build — OFC Conductors, Spiral Shield, Nickel-Plated Plugs

The Oxygen-Free Copper conductor reduces resistance and signal degradation across the run. The OFC spiral shield wraps the conductor pair with a flexible braided ground — strong RF rejection without the stiffness of foil-shielded cable. The nickel-plated plugs resist tarnishing over years of plugging and unplugging, and the housing strain-relief prevents the cable from pulling free of the solder joint when yanked. This is workhorse cable for permanent desk installation, not a road-warrior premium-priced design — and the price reflects that.

Who Buys the STX-105M

Home studio engineers running their interface monitor output to a pair of active monitors with XLR inputs. Producers building a new desk and stocking the right interconnects from the start instead of using consumer-grade cables. Anyone replacing a noisy unbalanced run — once the noise floor drops, the difference is obvious.