Joule 150A MKII versus Atma-sphere Preamps


Currently have a Joule 150A MKII that works fantastically well with my CAT JL2 and Music Reference RM9 Special Edition; bot are single-ended RCA only. I will be getting a Atma-sphere OTL amp in a little while which I'm told is generally best with balanced connection. My question is both general to the Joule versus the Atma MP1/3s and also regarding the need for running balanced with the Atma-amp versus using very high quality RCA ICs.
pubul57
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I thought the goal of "balanced" cables was to keep the shield separate from the "-" wire. In many RCA's the shield is connected to the "-" so that the noise collected by the shield may become a part of the amplified signal. Doesn't a "balanced" cable drain the noise collected by the drain wire and connect it directly to chassis earth ground, bypassing the "-" wire, hence never giving it the opportunity to pollute the amplifed signal. Am I misunderstanding this?
My other issue beside design approach is whether or not the MP-3 is as inherently good a preamp as the Joule 150A MKII. I love the Joule after having experimented with CAT,Lamm, and Placette Active. So quiet or not, I just don't know if the MP-3 is as a good a preamp, but again, I guess I just won't know till I get one in my system.
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I've been a long time user of MP3/AS30. Prior to the MP3 I had a AI M3(single ended) as my preamp running to the AS30.
The combo worked fine with no issues. The MP3 was a sgnificant stepup but I suspect that's because the MP3 is a better preamp and not because it's balanced. If you like the Joule there shouldn't be any issues running it single ended with the AS amp.