Why Single-Ended?

Home audio, especially 2 channel systems with analog being the primary source will rarely benefit from balanced connections. Adding balanced operation in this scenario will only add more circuitry with no real benefit and likely have deleterious effects.  One should attempt to have a full-featured preamplifier that includes a well designed phono stage. This approach has significant advantages. The installation is much simpler, the cabling requirements are simpler as this approach has a concentrated purpose. Avoiding ground loops is generally not a problem with this approach and cable lengths can be kept to a very reasonable length. Plus the number of cables is minimized.
Balanced topology imposes twice the circuitry into the signal path.  Abandoning single-ended connectivity is not an advancement.

"But the people who are adamant that only one way is technically correct or sounds right are to be ignored. "

Surely there is best way for any individual. You and I may not agree on what is best since we may value different virtues, but having on opinion on what I find best does not mean that opinion should be ignored.

To the question about single ended versus balanced. Single ended has 2 potentials (voltages). One is fixed commonly called the ground, the return, or the reference level. The outside shield on an RCA plug. The other varies and carries the information (music) which is the center conductor.  

In balanced you have 2 lines carrying the information so typically 3 pins on the connector. Two for the signals and a third is the ground reference. In an ideal world they are exact opposites with one going positive the exact same amount as the other goes negative. The balanced circuit amplifies the difference between the two so it is differential. One advantage of that is if the cables pick up noise they tend to pick it up equally. The differential amplifier doesn't amplify the noise signals because they are not different. One debate here is if that is important in the home environment.

One approach amplifies the difference at the input and another keeps them separate until combined at the output leading to some of the terminology you asked about. 

Some circuits have a balanced 3 pin input but once inside convert it to single ended or simply don't use one of the signals and are therefore not really balanced or not fully balanced. 

Beyond that you can have combinations of the 2 like a balanced input followed by some SE amplification converted back to balanced at the output.

As Almarg points out, there is no universal agreement on what to call the various configurations so you get a variety of terms which mean different things to different people. Unless you look at the schematic and understand it you are at the mercy of whoever is describing it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_amplifier
 

Balanced topology imposes twice the circuitry into the signal path.

It is not quite that simple. There are many was to implement either one so it all depends on the design. There are very complex SE circuits and very simple balanced ones. Since a differential amplifier has more gain than a comparable SE circuit you could easily end up with less stages and less circuitry. In any case the amount of circuitry is not a design criteria. If additional circuitry leads to better sound then its a good thing.

perazzi28

Home audio, especially 2 channel systems with analog being the primary source will rarely benefit from balanced connections. Adding balanced operation in this scenario will only add more circuitry with no real benefit and likely have deleterious effects. One should attempt to have a full-featured preamplifier that includes a well designed phono stage. This approach has significant advantages. The installation is much simpler, the cabling requirements are simpler as this approach has a concentrated purpose. Avoiding ground loops is generally not a problem with this approach and cable lengths can be kept to a very reasonable length. Plus the number of cables is minimized ...

It's rather vague to state "analog being the primary source" in your premise. If you're referring to LP, I think you couldn't be more mistaken.

A phono cartridge is an inherently balanced source. If you feed it to a truly balanced (differential) phono preamplifier, you'll add gain where you need it most, and reject noise and interference where you need to most. And you'll avoid having the cable influence the signal. Again, that's where you need it most.

To state that " balanced operation in this scenario will only add more circuitry with no real benefit" is absurd. Yes, differential amplifiers add more circuitry - but there are multiple real, measurable benefits - especially when a turntable is the source.

@herman 
I like the way you write.
B