Balanced versus single ended

I don't really have a strong opinion in an otherwise well functioning home whether you go with XLR or RCA, but I will say that if you build your own, Neutrik has silver contact XLR's and Parts Connexion has a line of pure silver, balanced IC cables you can combine to make outstanding / end game interconnects for a lot cheaper than you'd buy.

I humbly submit that it really depends on the design of the preamp and amp. But that is just from my own experience and without any engineering background. It always surprises me that so many reviewers claim that SE is just as good, and how many reviewers seem to keep only SE IC's on hand. 

As an owner of an ARC Ref 6 and Ref 80S and Ref 150 SE I know that Warren Gehl and Co strongly suggest running balanced with the very best IC's you can afford. I conducted listening tests with a wide assortment of balanced IC's at all price ranges and heard huge differences. I settled on Cardas Clear Beyond. 

XLR cables cost more… often a lot more. If I was relatively young I would go with balanced… component design is headed that way. But if I was on a budget you can save money on single ended. But as has been pointed out to be sure with your components, you have to try to be sure.

I tend towards being a cable denier, but I have never seen XLR cables that attract the multi hundred t multi thousand dollar figures like RCAs can.

It gets difficult when one has say, an XLR phono stage and RCA based amp and preamp.

Starting new I would agree that using XLRs would be a good choice.

Anyways, my question is: has anyone ever thought that single ended sounded better?given the 2 options. Im only referring to a truly balanced connection

My 30+ year old XLR based phono stage did not sound as good as my 10 year old RCA phono stage… but that did not have a lot to do with the RCAs or the XLRs.

I suspect that the Benchmark, Atmasphere (etc.  etc. etc.) amps that are balanced would sound better than my amps. And they also measure better.

But I would not hesitate to run an RCA based preamp into them even if I had to use an XLR to RCA adapter.

One would probably need the same gear as balanced or RCA to make a determination, and I have seen at least preamp show more distortion products with balanced than with RCAs, so it is likely equipment specific??

As many have stated, the design of the gear plays the biggest role in the differences heard from balanced and unbalanced.  I have a fully balanced system from the streamer, the DAC which is specifically designed to perform best with an AES input being used and balanced outputs.  My DAC, Pre and Amp all sound noticeably better when everything is hooked up with XLR balanced cables.  But, that’s because of the design of the equipment, all the pieces in the chain were designed that way.  There are plenty of high end designs that aren’t designed to be fully and truly balanced, those pieces can sound better than balanced equipment.  
 

I have heard some manufactures downplay or state unbalanced implementation is as good or better.  Primaluna, Kevin Deal states this in some of his famous video reviews.  I think the general rule of thumb is if your equipment is designed to perform at its best using balanced input / outputs, you should listen to the manufactures and plan accordingly.  If they aren’t or specific pieces of gear in your chain aren’t, you shouldn’t worry about going unbalanced or feel like you are missing out.

Synergy is real, it is a good idea to try and match up equipment that maximizes the design of other pieces of gear in the chain.  

@atmasphere 

Hey Ralph,

You absolutely convinced me that I did not need an expensive IC when using your amps and preamp. Has that changed now that I am using my AGD amps?

Do you know if AGD supports the balanced standard. And do cables make a difference when amp and/or preamp do not meet that standard but use an XLR IC?