Mix of RCA Balanced Cables. Is it ok?

I agree with Jfrech. I have my Aesthetix Io phono stage running balanced to my Aesthetix Callisto preamp. The Aesthetix pieces are true balanced and work well that way. My Wolcott amps are single ended design, so I choose to drive the 11 meter run as such, and it performs flawlessly. As mentioned by Jfrech, the pieces that are truly balanced may benefit from being run that way, adaptors may even hurt the performance.

Thanks pple, for your contributions so far. Is it wise then to convert from RCA to balanced?

An RCA to XLR adaptor will not convert the audio signal from single-ended to balanced. The adaptor simply allows you to mate different types of connectors. There are real sonic advantages to fully balanced equipment. For interconnects, a balanced cable will have better RFI/EM rejection and balanced amplifier circuits typically have lower distortion than comparable single-ended designs. If you have such equipment, then by all means used balanced interconnects.

All balanced is better, but sometimes compromise is unavoidable. My BAT preamp is all blanced inputs and outputs, but my phono preamp and amps are RCA. I used adapters for a while, but when I bought new cables I had them temrinated w/ XLR at one end and RCA's at the other. Not the same as balanced, of course, but at least it avoids an extra connection in the signal path.

In the past year I have gone to a all krell/thiel system. Krell recomends going balanced if you can but the equipment must be desinged balanced. There is a 6db increase in S/N. Initally I used higher end RCA's then I ordered cheap balanced interconnects to test the therory. The cheap 15.00 balanced totally blew away the Single ended 100.00 plus cables! I later purchased more apropriate Strait Wire Bal. but surprisingly no great improvement over the cheapies but they sure look cool! Ken Martin