05-30-10: Tvad:
The merits...scientific and audio...the two are interlinked:
I think they are quite separable.
Lower noise floor due to EMI/RFI rejection
Only if there is EMI/RFI to reject.
Lower noise floor due to absence of ground loop hum
Only if there is a ground loop.
Better high end and low end extension and resolution when using long interconnects
Really? Why? In my main system, where there is no significant EMI/RFI or problems with ground loops, the 10meter SE and BAL connections are of equal quality. I just prefer the XLR connectors to the the RCAs.
Kal