Are Balanced Audio Cables Better?

Cables matter. They’re an important part of the equation if you are trying to make your system as clean sounding as possible. Not all cables are created equal and are oftentimes an oversight in improving the sound quality and clarity of your system. The cables are what is actually carrying the sound from your source to your output, so the materials used and the quality of the cable itself has a dramatic impact on what you are going to hear. Things like noise isolation, cable length, and input gain/level are all very important things to consider when trying to determine what cable solution is best for you and your system.

Cables come in two varieties: balanced and single ended. On their own, one is not necessarily better than the other. What matters is the application for which they are used, and which cable will be most effective in carrying out the best signal to your components. The common myth is that balanced cables are better than single-ended. Why is that? Well, probably the top reason people think balanced cables are better is that they are more resistant to noise and interference. The last thing you want to hear when trying to listen to your music is static, hiss, or other noise artifacts in your system diminishing the quality and clarity of your music.

Let’s take a look at how balanced cables are able to keep out the noise in their signal.