Are luxman integrated amps truly balanced?

OP,

You are right to ask the question. But one can simply sound better because of the way it was designed and built, and the component you are connecting it to. Whether the design is fully balanced is unlikely to guarantee the correct choice. The  correct answer is you have to try them both to be 100% sure. 
 

I own ARC equipment which is balanced, and they recommend XLR… but I tried both and if there is a difference I can’t tell. They spent a lot of effort to make sure they sounded the same. With my equipment I am able to hook up to equalize the volume and switch back and forth. 

True balanced is Differentially balanced input to output meaning it needs 

a separate transformer per channel to isolate it ,it is more $$ expensive 

and more complex in design. , it is not common though. 

Ya I dont think Luxman has those transformers. Ill try with RCA and XLR see what sounds better. Do you guys think the 5.8Volts into XLR input is dangerous for the Luxman? Since it can handle 6volts?

These little Jensen transformers are normally used. They also add a little gain, making "balanced" louder which is whey some people think it sounds better.  They are about $100 each and you need 2 per amp.

I use SE for everything. --Jerry

Ya, I think thats beyond me hah. Ill just test SE and go with it, so long as the quality is still there. When i use the XLR connection from the DAC to AMP its 6DB louder than SE. Was my first clue that the Luxman wasnt truly balanced.