What phono preamps are balanced

BAT is balanced. I don't know who said it wasn't. AFAIK all BAT products are true balanced types.

Rhea has a single-ended phono section followed by a balanced output section. This means that you have to hook the cartridge up to the phono input in single-ended mode. In my book, this does not qualify as an all-balanced design. It may sound wonderful, and I'd like to have one, but it is not "balanced" in the sense that we are discussing. It does not even offer XLR inputs. For a lot more dough you can get the Io, which is true balanced all the way.

After reading on the PS Audio website, I certainly have to agree that they claim it is fully balanced from input to output. It is curious that they offer only RCA input jacks, no XLR inputs. This CAN work for balanced mode if the ground connection on the RCA is not in fact tied to ground but instead carries the negative phase of the audio signal. (The Hagerman Trumpet, a tubed balanced phono stage seems to do this too.) Anyway, I stand corrected pending further correction.

Most manufacturers give you just enough info to let you think what you want to think, it often seems.

ARC Ref 2 is fully balanced input to output it just has RCA connectors for the input since that is what most people will have. I bet one could special order XLRs for one or both inputs. Either way, electrically, the positive and negative of each channel from the cartridge make it to the positive and negative inputs of the balanced circutry.
TD

Thanks TD.
I thought that xlr's weren't neccessary in order for the circuit to be balanced. But I do agree that xlr terminated cables are better than rca's.
Lewm, I agree with the negative lead not being grounded being neccessary in order for it to be truly balanced.
If anyone can chime in to the next question: on the graham 2.2 arm, there are 5 pins, does the 5th pin ground to the arm and/or cartridge/body? The arm is ceramic which does not conduct well so the cartridge really doesn't get grounded, right? Would did this make it truly balanced--the 5 pins with the 5th being ground only without signal?

The VTL TP-6.5 has single ended inputs and balanced outputs.

Pedrillo, Most likely the 5th lead from the Graham 2.2 is just to ground the tonearm body to the preamp chassis. It's a toss-up whether you would even need to connect it. With my RS-A1 tonearm, I had hum until I ran a ground wire from the body to a screw on the chassis of my preamp. With the Triplanar, the accessory ground wire just waves in the breeze, and I have no hum. So, if you have hum, find a way to attach that wire to your phono stage chassis. I now re-read your post and see that you are using the word "pin". Sorry, but it's the same deal. I guess you are looking at the 5th pin on the DIN plug. This is the pin that is sort of at the apex of the formation of 5 pins. That too, is for grouding the tonearm body via the connecting cable. The connecting cable may or may not have a free wire that is not within the shield or terminated with a connector. That's your ground wire. Alternatively the 5th pin may be connecting internally to the shield of your balanced cable connection. The shield will convey the tonearm ground to your phono stage.