High end Cables not important for certain electronics?

Is it possible to tell from the kind of information available on the PS Audio website whether or not the BHK preamp meets the criteria that Atmasphere describes? ... their design permits use of single ended and balanced outputs at the same time, and Atmasphere seemed to be saying that a design that ‘met the standard’ would need to include a switch to go between balanced and single-ended outputs.

@tcatch,

No, I wouldn’t interpret Ralph’s (Atmasphere’s) comments to mean that a balanced/unbalanced switch for the outputs is necessary for the criteria he stated to be met.

If the unbalanced outputs are not connected to anything then their presence would presumably have no relevance to whether or not the balanced outputs meet the criteria. And even if they are connected to some component, if the preamp drives them with an output stage that is separate from the one which drives the balanced outputs they still would have no relevance to whether or not the balanced outputs meet the criteria. (Some designs which provide both balanced and unbalanced outputs drive the two sets of outputs with separate output stages, although many and I suspect most just provide the RCA connectors with one of the two signals in the balanced pair of signals that are provided to the XLR connectors).

The low output impedance of the BHK preamp is encouraging with respect to the criteria Ralph stated involving drive capability, as you realize. **If** the preamp connects pin 1 of the XLR connectors to chassis/AC safety ground (as opposed to circuit ground) it would be encouraging (although not conclusive) with respect to the criterion you asked about, but of course that can’t be determined from the information provided at the website.

The bottom line would seem to be that it would be best to ask PS Audio if their design meets the criteria Ralph stated.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

@almarg Thanks for the info an link. Maybe I can live with my existing lower end XLR's. I need to research what you have posted and see how it applies to what I am considering.

Not allways true even in a fully balanced system .
i owned a audio store for 10 years in Europe and had many top 
electronics top quality Balanced interconnects trumped the lesser models every time , maybe with what some would call diminishing 
returns for example the $2k cables were roughly 5% + better then a similar cables at $1k ,this applied to Every one of at least 4 well
known brands. Noise floor even lower and resolution and separation was just more defined. Equipment too will vary to some  extent I used  world class Amplifiers and preamps , not fake balanced, like most. Outthere . That have xlr,then wired to same rca grid. True balanced has Transformers input to output.and yes I used Solid state as well as vacuum tube. 

But it says right here in the manual.....