Balanced vs RCA preamps

@atmasphere 

Amazing commentary you have. I bet you have a really really cool system.

@emergingsoul I like it

I have one of our MP-1 preamps driving about 35 feet of balanced cable which connects to the amplifiers. The tonearm has a balanced connection to the preamp as does the DAC. My tuner is old school so its a single ended connection to the preamp. The speakers are Classic Audio Loudspeakers model T-3s which are 98dB 1 Watt/1 meter, 16 Ohms and flat to 20Hz.

@atmasphere 

Clearly with such a long distance for a cable, a balanced XLR cable makes sense.  RCA connect going out that long is never really a good idea. Interesting speakers horns are deserving of a look next time I buy a speaker

For the most part it's purely bragging rights.  XLR connections when fully and correctly implemented can reduce noise and eliminate ground loops.

In some circumstances this can be huge, but for most of us it's minor.

Also, as others note, if you are using very long runs to other devices with truly balanced inputs this is helpful in ensuring there's no noise pickup along the way.  Some devices, like some Parasound amps as an exmaple, have XLR inputs as convenience but they are not balanced inputs, so you don't get  the benefit of a long run with less noise.

To the OP, Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) makes several tubed preamps.  Most of their models are solely balanced.  Heck, "Balanced" is even in their brand name.  However, the model VK-80 has two balanced inputs and three RCA inputs as well as balanced and RCA outputs.  If you are looking to buy a used preamp, their model VK-33SE is the predecessor to the VK-80 and has the exact same inputs/outputs.  I owned the VK-33SE and can speak for its sonic excellence as well as build quality.  I made a step up in the BAT product line and now have the VK-90.  Highly recommended as a brand of excellence in all regards.