I did the same thing to my TT a couple of years go. The best advantage going balanced from the cartridge gives you is a huge reduction in noise floor. Because now your connection between your cartridge and your phono stage is not affected by AC lines. You of coarse MUST be using a fully balanced phono stage though to be immume from any AC hum. Not just having the good cannon XLR connections will give you this. Ideally using fully balanced componets from the cartridge clips to the XLR power amp inputs are the very best noise immuity. Since changing my cartridge connection to balanced and adding a good balanced phono stage, my vinyl is much much closer to CD quietness now. Gota shake my head sometimes, it's that quiet.
