New Cable Help-Balanced or Single Ended


Hello all,
I am finally getting my system to a point where it sounds right for me, and need to settle in on some interconnects. Based on the many positive comments I have read, I plan to try HGA Silver Lace. I will be comming out of a SF Assemblage DAC 3.0 to an Adcom GFP 750 then to a Classe DR25. The Classe drives Alon V MkII's with woofer upgrade. The Adcom has also had Stan Warren's black gate cap upgrade. Reviews say the Adcom sounds "slightly" better when run balanced. My question is, will this system sound better with balanced interconnects or single ended? I like hearing the details, but definitely not at the expense of harshness, grain, or a thin sound. Vocals are important, as is solid bass. I listen to rock (not metal), blues, and a bit of jazz. BTY, tri-wired to speakers with 2 individual runs of DH Labs Q10 (to woofer and mids) and a run of T14 to tweeter. Thanks for your help. Tim
mitch2

Showing 1 response by danielk141

I have a Rowland Model 2 amp I use with an Adcom GFP 750 pre amp. Both are fully balanced. The usual question is do you have an unacceptable noise floor? The noise floor in my system is not an issue. I use the components with balanced cable because they're balanced pieces - I want to utilize them to their fullest.
I also have an Aleph pre amp & Aleph amps I use single ended - the noise floor is also not an issue with them.
(I do have what I consider very good power line coditioning, I believe it does make a big difference).
Do you have a local dealer who will work with you? Try to borrow some definitely broken in cables of the same brand or price piont (balanced & unbalanced) & audition them for a few days....

P.S. Some cable companies will simply re-terminate single ended cable with XLR connectors, these are not what you want! If you have a doubt, simply check all 3 pins for continuity.