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Balanced or Unbalanced, which way to go?

Am getting ready to upgrade my wiring and need some questions answered. I have all separate components, preamp, two amps and a separate phono stage for MC. I will be using a CD player and turntable in the same system. Would like to know if I can use balanced from preamp to amps with XLR's as the amps owners manual recommends and still get the best sound from CD and turntable? Many people seem to prefer bypassing the preamp with a CD player. I don't think that I can do this as I only have one set of XLR inputs on the amps. I also do not want to have to switch the back of the amps from balanced mode to unbalanced to go from CD listening to vinyl. Anyone with suggestions, I would love to hear from you. Thanks,
Bill
jbangelfish
blueswan
211 posts
 
There are lots of posts on this subject in the archives, but it is worth repeating my experience. I like the use of a preamp, it renders the capacitance and inductance of cables to the amp less critical. I also feel the use of a preamp really helps the dynamics. I used a passive preamp for several years but always felt the music was a bit lean and lifeless. As far as balanced versus single ended, when I switched from RCA to XLR, I found the presentation more open and musical with only a slight loss of resolution.
phild
603 posts
 
It all depends on the design of your amp and preamp. I found a balanced/XLR between my pre and amp to be very positive as far as resolution goes. I think it sounds better in every way (and both my digital and analog sources are single-ended). The only downside (for me) is that it is 6db(??) louder, which makes it harder for me to listen to CD sources at low volume levels. The loss of volume control at low volumes is due to my preamps high output and amp's low sensitivity. Others may welcome the extra volume.
subaruguru
1,376 posts
 
Yes, it depends upon whether your source AND preamp offer true balanced design. In my case balanced operation offers MORE resolution and greater dynamics, and the +6dB output puts it squarely in the middle of my gain range, which is perfect. Good Luck.
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