C220 balanced vs unbalanced

[1KW]

Anyone done a comparison ? Since the C220 is not a balanced pre amp any disadvantage/advantage to running balanced ?

[Sully]

I'm running balanced cables from both the C220 to my MC500 & from my MDA700 into the C220. I've tried it unbalanced and balanced and prefer the balanced for a number of reasons...
I like the more solid connection you get with XLR, you know it's locked in place whe you hear that click.
You get a couple dB increase in the signal to noise ratio, and last but not least is that they provide a "blacker backgound" for me.
Opinions vary, there's been lots of past threads, and this certainly won't be the last
My advice is to compare them yourself & let your ears be the judge..

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by 1KW

Anyone done a comparison ? Since the C220 is not a balanced pre amp any disadvantage/advantage to running balanced ?

As always, it's a matter of preferences. I haven't done any really serious and scientific comparisons, so you won't get a definite answer from me. However, I have generally found the non-balanced to be a bit warmer than balanced.

They say that the noise rejection advantages of balanced cable don't matter much for short runs, but there's enough electromagnetic activity in my rack, that I ended up with balanced interconnects from the MDA to the C220 and from the C220 to the 501s.

Alberto

[jdandy]

I use balanced cables. They cancel noise between the + and - wires, they are shieded which makes them immune to induced EMI and RFI from adjacent audio and power cables, and the connections are superior to unbalanced RCA's.

[ruffoc]

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[f1 fan]

I use balanced from my MC402 into the C39 and non balanced from my sources into the C39. The C39 does not have balanced inputs. As far as which sound better I would say listen for yourself and trust your ears.

[gregswaim]

Using a good quality balanced cable(XLR) with your C220 will fundamentally improve the sound: wider soundstage,more details revealed, better dynamics,ect..

[nsgarch]

Balanced preamp circuitry is not mandatory for a preamp to be able to provide balanced outputs. And if provided, it's good to use them, especially if running long-ish interconnects to the amp, and for best signal to noise ratio as already pointed out; but there is another very important advantage no one mentioned so far:

Typical (push-pull) amplifier circuits need a balanced input signal in order provide gain. If you input a single-ended (unbalanced) signal, the amp first has to convert it to a balanced signal before amplifying it. This requires a splitter/inverter circuit at the amp's input -- a potential source of additional noise, channel imbalance, and distortion (especially in tube amps.) However, all that is easily avoided by driving the amp with a balanced input signal in the first place.

[Daytripper]

I could swear in the past most seemed to prefer un balanced! I have preferred balanced connections from my mcd201 to c2300 to mc402 since I first tried them. Not a large difference in my system, Just seems like a blacker black, plus the connections are more secure IMO.

Robert

[MC352]

I use balanced cables where ever possible.
For all the same reasons mentioned already.