Balanced ----- Unbalanced----

It better than nothing! If the balanced standard is supported, then at least the connection between the preamp and the EQ is solid, even if the connection to the amp is only single-ended. The more information you don't loose, the better.

Herman, the reason we make balanced equipment stems from my experiences in college, setting up Neumann microphones in the music hall. We ran 150 feet of interconnect. That's not something you can do with single-ended- too much high frequency loss. It was a simple leap to see that there would also be an advantage to balanced operation in the home. You'll note that I am not trying to sell this guy anything- he already has the equipment.

Even if the highs are rolled off out-of-band, phase shift occurs in the audio band. This can be audible. Additionally, SE cables are more prone to noise pickup, Maab has an opportunity to prevent noise pickup (which can obscure detail).

To run balanced lines you either use XLR connectors or 'stereo headphone' connections. The latter are more commonly seen in semi-pro gear for musical instruments and recording. XLR is the preferred connection.

Hi Herman, for cables alone the topology is indeed better. Before balanced line came along, transcontinental phone calls were impossible. HiFi did not exist in recordings. Balanced line operation transformed that.

Even in short runs that you see in the home the improvement is obvious. It allows you to have short speaker cables and long interconnects so you can put the front end of the system where you want it, rather than only between the speakers, without degradation. Once hearing what this offers, there really is no going back.

I might offer this technology, but its really a matter of I do it because it works. I certainly don't keep it a secret and I do stand behind it either way- I hope that's not a problem :)

Herman, before balanced line occurred, you had to scream at the top of your lungs to make a call across the state. The fact of the matter is balanced line was a transformation because there was less information loss. Historically you may find it uninteresting, but the implication for the quality of the sound in your recordings was profound.

The idea the SE is simpler is a common misconception. At first blush, it appears that because balanced equipment has more parts, that the signal chain is more complex. In fact the signal often negotiates the same number of gain stages, sometimes less. For example, in an SET there are usually 3 stages of gain, sometimes two. In our amps, which are balanced, there is one. There are 3 stages of gain in our preamps, which includes the low output MC input. Most SE preamps have more stages than that.

Its not better because the pros use it, the pros use it because it works better. The balanced line system was designed with the specific intention of eliminating cable differences and interactions. The benefit is that you can use a cheap cable to the same effect as a really expensive cable- effectively eliminating a cost in your system. That's not something you can say about SE cables!

Herman, the phonograph is a very low output signal. MC cartridges are lower output than any microphone, even ribbon mics. Almost all cartridges are a balanced source; with output levels that low there is in fact a benefit to be realized in the home- lack of hum, even without shielding. This allows you to reduce capacitive effects on the loading of the cartridge, yielding greater bandwidth. Its easy to demonstrate.

The argument of short cables is a red herring. It all depends on the amount of electrical noise in the environment, not the length of the cable. So a one meter length can make a hell of a difference if you have a computer, RF issues, powerful magnetic fields (like from an amplifier), like Bob says.

Why you care about the history of the phone company is that it is a very dramatic demonstration of the value of intelligibility, hifi notwithstanding. Balanced line is that powerfully better.

Points well taken Herman, but I don't recall suggesting that your stereo was noisy and had phone lines in it??