Balanced in phono stages preamp?

Depends. Many products convert balanced to single-ended after the input and then process the signal in single-ended mode. Other products are single-ended all the way thru and then have an additional stage at the output that provides a balanced out. In either case, it is unlikely to be advantageous to use the balanced in or out, as compared to the SE inputs and outputs on the same piece of gear. Only a few phono preamps are truly balanced from input to output. AFAIK, these include BAT, Ayre, Aesthetix Io (in spite of what someone wrote below), and Atma-sphere. In my opinion, there ARE some advantages to a balanced circuit in the latter case, noise and distortion cancellation being two of those advantages. Before purchasing a "balanced" input phono preamp, it would be wise to make inquiries as to what is really going on inside the unit. I think a lot of the reason folks are indifferent about the advantages of a balanced circuit is that they have not really heard one properly implemented.

There is an exception to every rule I reckon. I've got a VKP10SE and I like it a lot better with the input connection unbalanced. To the second half of the original question, I think the answer is no. Some great phono stages give you the balanced input option and some do not. A drawback to the balanced input approach is that to convert a two wire device (cartridge) to a three wire device you have to cut the signal in half which creates opportunity for more issues with signal to noise ratio and amplification error (i.e. for a 1.0 mv cart the unbalanced input is 1 mv, the balanced input is 0.5 mv on each leg).

The Essential 3150 from Raul is a fully balanced phono/linestage input to output.

Your conception about what is happening to the output from the cartridge when interfaced with a balanced input is flawed, insofar as you see it to be a negative. The signal is not "cut in half" per se, and there is no conversion of the signal from "two wires" to "three wires". The ground in a balanced input is independent of the + and - inputs. The cartridge sees only the + and - inputs and does not know the difference between +/- vs hot/ground in an SE input. One could make an argument that the output of a cartridge is inherently balanced in the first place; the choice of hot and ground is arbitrary, really.

However, your impression that your BAT phono sounds best with an SE input is not one I would challenge, since I don't know the particulars of that unit and you are entitled to your opinion. You might discuss your finding with BAT, however. Nor is it my intention to argue that all truly balanced circuits are better than all SE circuits, not by a long shot.

Jeff_jones:

I've heard from others that some people do like the SE ended inputs better if you are using the transformer step ups. I'm curious if you are? Also, are you using the single ended outputs or balanced out to your preamp...

I am not challenging your observations...just more curious.

Thanks.. good luck