XLR out on a tuner?

Thanks for the explanations guys.

Not that it matters in my case, but it seems a shame that Denon, or anyone else, would market a component aimed, presumably, at higher end buyers and include connecters and the description ’balanced’ when 1) they may be abusing the term for marketing purposes and 2) might sound worse or at least no better than the standard SE connector.

In fact, it seems down right deceitful to go to the trouble and expense of adding XLR connectors when the only real benefit is marketing. Not that I’m surprised, this goes on in the photography world (which I’m well versed in) but to a lesser extent with "pro" level gear. Which makes me wonder if Denon’s "pro" level stuff is really just average midfi stuff actually aimed at midfi buyers who won’t know the difference between truly balanced and some version of ’balanced’ which conveys no benefit.

Having learned all this I’d say I’m unlikely to spend another $30 on XLR cables to find out if there is a difference. I already have good if not very good RCA cables in hand and at this point in my audiophile ’career’ I have no confidence that I’d hear a minor difference anyway.

All very interesting stuff and thanks again.

And for the record, I don’t regret the purchase (yet, it hasn’t arrived) since the balanced XLR output didn’t impact my decision to buy it.

Based on the Denon specs sheet, output voltage is the same regardless of the output selected. That’s not usually the case if the XLR outputs derive from a balanced circuit. Compare with the MD tuners having balanced XLR outs vs their RCA outs. The balanced outs are always 2x the voltage. 

Thanks. I did not know how to tell from the specs. Sounds like a gimmick then. Certainly will not buy XLR cables. Shame that Denon would resort to that sort of bait-and-switch.

I guess if you just happened to have XLR cables lying around and no RCA cables it would actually be a 'feature'.

Anyway, can't wait for it to get here. I still enjoy listening to the radio. Even though I'm not real into classical we have a superb classical station here well worth listening to.

As Cleeds said, if they used an op-amp on the XLR outputs to “split” the signal for balanced output, then each signal conductor would carry 1/2 the voltage. So that likely explains the equivalent voltage outputs from both balanced and single-ended outputs. (Or it could be simply a typographical error in their specs, and the balanced outs are rated with an higher voltage.)