Balanced vs RCA between amp/preamp

As has been pointed out, balanced is not inherently better sounding.  A balanced signal is simply two unbalanced signals, one 180 degrees out of phase (mirror image).  The you subtract one from the other - common noise cancels.  That's it.
It is more immune to both ground noise and pickup of noise over long distances in noisy environments - like factories or concert stages.
Worse, the simple, common way to create balanced I/O is to add an opamp or other circuitry to create it - and every circuit, no matter how good, adds a little distortion and noise.
There are a bunch of reasons to use balanced - for example to run stereo amps as monoblocks - and yea, i advertised this as a feature on my amps/preamps 25 years ago - and it was true! And sounded great! -- but it used inherently balanced circuitry (not one extra part, not one), and quadrupled the power.
That said, 99% of the time i personally would run the simplest system possible. RCAs.
Plus, you save money on cables - generally lots. Spend that on something truly useful.
As to RCAs preserving absolute polarity - strange comment. So do balanced connections. Actually, absolute polarity is really a function of whether the circuitry inverts or not. If it does, well, swap the speaker leads :-) Problem solved for $0.00
G

I believe that Frank Van Alstine once said balanced is a solution looking for a problem.

If both the source and load are fully balanced......then balanced sounds noticeably better.  Not just lower noise but more transparent/real and more information.  I can hear the difference from the kitchen.  This was tested with the same source and same type of cables.  So, yes, balanced in inherently better.  This is why Audio Research and many other run balanced.  It is not about profession whatever......it just plain sounds better.  Do what you choose.  This is my experience, listening to both.  By the way, you don't need transformers to run balanced.  Almost all DACs have balanced outputs and you simply run each phase right out.  If the preamp/amps are fully balanced.....you will get better sound than single ended.  Frank Van Alstine loves his new balanced mono blocks.....the best he has ever done.  Also, running balanced does not take the cable out of the equation.  All balanced cables sound different from each other and that includes on Atmasphere gear.

Ricevs 8-1-2019
All balanced cables sound different from each other and that includes on Atmasphere gear.

Ric, I don’t doubt your experience. But see Ralph’s post dated 3-22-2013 near the beginning of the following thread for what I consider to be compelling proof of his contention regarding immunity to differences between balanced cables, **if** the components being connected meet the criteria he states in that post (which are not met by most high end components, as he indicates). Also see one of my follow-up questions later in that thread, and Ralph’s response, which it seems to me might account for your findings. The question I am referring to is in the last paragraph of my first post dated 3-27-2013, beginning with "Also, to eliminate interconnect cable differences is it necessary ..."

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-tube-pre-amp-match-up-with-a-solid-state-amp

Regards,
-- Al