2. amps-preamps
  3. 128510-2280

Why Single-Ended?

I’ve long wondered why some manufacturers design their components to be SE only. I work in the industry and know that "balanced" audio lines have been the pro standard (for grounding and noise reduction reasons) and home stereo units started out as single-ended designs.

One reason components are not balanced is due to cost, and it’s good to be able to get high quality sound at an affordable price.
But, with so many balanced HiFi components available these days, why have some companies not offered a fully-balanced amp or preamp in their product line?
I’m referring to fine companies such as Conrad Johnson, Consonance, Coincident, and Bob Carver’s tube amps. CJ builds amps that sell for $20-$39K, so their design is not driven by cost.

The reason I’m asking is because in a system you might have a couple of balanced sources, balanced preamp, and then the final stage might be a tube amp or monoblocks which have SE input. How much of the total signal is lost in this type of setup? IOW, are we missing out on sonic bliss by mixing balanced and unbalanced?

128x128lowrider57
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

As with John I've heard modest and excellent examples of both single ended and true balanced systems. Needless to say many variables determine the final sound heard with a component or full system. I appreciate the stated advantages of differential balanced circuits. Ironically some of the very finest audio systems I've ever heard were with the simpler (technically inferior?) single ended circuits. Either is capable of superb sound quality. Designer/builder talent, parts quality and implementation are major factors involved.

Charles

swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
The reason that manufacturers designs vary is because no one single design has been proven to be superior.

Designer/builder talent, parts quality and implementation are major factors involved.
+1000!!!  At the risk of beating a dead horse, virtually every design is a compromise.  The "best" designs are those whose compromises have an end result that most closely matches the end user's value system.  And that's leaving implementation (which is equally important) out of the equation altogether. 

Not to be flip, but that's why there is not only chocolate and vanilla, but also Ben & Jerry's and Hagen-Daz.  


pbnaudio's avatar
pbnaudio
1,613 posts
 
We only do balanced

http://pbnaudio.com/audio-components/audio-preamps/olympia-li-lxi

Our power amplifiers have a fully balanced input stage as well and when used as mono blocks the output stage becomes fully balanced as well.

http://pbnaudio.com/audio-components/audio-amplifiers/olympia-ebsa1

Even in our consumer direct line, Liberty Audio the topology  is similar

http://www.libertyaudio.com/products/b2b-2-line-level-preamp-dac

Same goes for the power amplifier

http://www.libertyaudio.com/products/b2b-100-all-mos-fet-stereo-power-amplifier

And the phono preamplifier, obviously you will need two of them just like the power amplifier

http://www.libertyaudio.com/products/b2b-1-all-fet-phono-preamp

Good Listening

Peter



lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57 OP
5,417 posts
 
Thanks for the comments so far. When I referred to balanced designs I was talking about fully differential, not simply an XLR connection. I would include Peter’s designs wbere there is a conversion after input stage in the discussion.
almarg's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
almarg
9,670 posts
 
In addition to the good points that have already been made, I would cite the following highly technical and abstruse factor: Traditions die hard :-)

Related to that, I'd imagine that a factor in many cases is that designers tend to use approaches they are familiar with, and that build upon their previous work, unless there is a compelling reason to change. And the fact that any given design is likely to be used in many systems in conjunction with associated components that are single-ended would seem to make the case for change less compelling.

Finally, making a design fully balanced adds complexity, and with it presumably more opportunity to go wrong, and more opportunity for the design and development process to become more costly and lengthy than desired. Especially if the designer has not previously used fully balanced approaches.

Best regards,
-- Al
 
More to discover