Balanced vs unbalanced

Who said balanced is the gold standard? Never heard that one. There’s nothing inherently wonderful about it, unless you need really long signal runs.

In addition, there is the connection issue. Speedskater mentioned panel space, which is certainly an issue compared to RCAs. That can be alleviated with female TRS panel connectors, but 1/4″ cable ends are about as long as XLR connectors, so a lot of clearance behind the gear is required. Basically, no one has invented a reliable compact balanced connection system. (Don’t talk to me about 3.5 mm – those are cheesy for the most part.)

Again, says who?

It largely depends on the components involved. Signal output for source components is relatively fixed; I don’t know that it’s hugely higher for balanced vs. unbalanced components. Pre-amp outputs can be several volts, which is way more than the typical professional power amp needs.

As far as noise floors, again it depends on the component. There is no shortage of professional equipment with balanced connections that are inherently noisy, especially at the lower end (although not exclusively). By contrast, my unbalanced system is so quiet you can turn the volume all the way up on an unused input, put your ear to the speaker, and hear nothing.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt