I'm Getting Unbalanced About Balanced

If you are unsure if a component is truly balanced or not go to the source, ask the manufacturer if it is balanced or merely accepts XLR inputs. Either way it will make a difference with different cables be it single ended(rca) or balanced- best thing is to try a few in your system and find what you like best- and that's simple now with so many companies offering in home trial, just let the cable settle in your system and burn in for a few days of constant play before you judge it.

Some components are balanced from input to output and some are not.....and it may make no difference. It depends more on the company that made it and how well they executed the design. For example:

Krell's KRC-HR may be one of the best preamps ever made, and many people feel it even betters the new KCT. The KCT is balanced from input to output while the KRC-HR is not. Also, as with all, or at least most, of the Krell products, the KRC-HR sounds much better when running balanced.

ALSO, I have been very curious about the people on this web site that say the Sony SCD-1 sounds better running single ended. If that is true, I would not see it's full potential in my all Krell system. This is one of the reasons that I haven't purchased it....yet.
Comments appreciated.

Richard

Some times using balanced cables in a system that isn't truly balanced can be benefitial (very long runs and/or in nasty environments). Other times the conversion from single to balanced and/or visa-versa just adds another stage of potential compromise. Theorticaly the best situation should be a complete truly balanced system. How critical this is, is dabateble.

Dr. Diamond the Sony SCD-1 isn't truly balanced output Sony took the cheap route and simply added a op amp to achieve a balanced signal.

Thanks for the input and info. I have Levinson 23 amps and Levinson 26 pre going to Martin Logan Monolith III's w/active x-over. Played off a Linn.Using Levinson ic's now.