Balanced vs unbalanced interconnects


I have a Wadia 830 feeding a Krell KAV-300i. This setup allows for the use of balanced and unbalanced connections simultaneously. I figured when I bought the Wadia I could finally run a balanced system. The dilemma is the single-ended connection always seems to sound better. The single-ended cable is a well worn SR Alpha Sterling. The balanced cables have been the SR Phase 2 Luminescence, Phase 2 Looking Glass, Alpha-core Micro Purl, and most recently a Kimber KCAG. Part of me says why fight it but… I have begun to wonder if the Krell is truly balanced throughout. Any ideas or suggestions out there? All cables are 1 meter in length.
lmb
Balanced offers a better connector: XLR is better than any RCA. But if KCAG is your most recent cable choice, let me share my experience of having this cable completely eclipsed by ALL of the Stealth models I've tried. AGSS, the wire used in KCAG is multistranded, with uninsulated wires all touching, a bad thing in itself, and the individual wires are too thick to avoid skin effect, another bad thing. The silver offers a sort of spurious excitement and illusion of good detail, but your opinion of balanced will go up if you try some real contender among balanced cables. I'd go with Stealth, with its 30-day money-back guarantee. The problem isn't with Wadia or Krell, IMHO.
Provocative comments Carl, posting is a bad meduim for a wry sense of humor. Being a musician for the last 20 years as well as having a EE, I seriously doubt gardening is in my future. The Krell literature is non-specific and simply states a balanced input stage which should be and is quieter even if it stops there. It is the leading edge dynamics that seem consisitently better in the single-ended connection. I have have owned MIT products in the past, perhaps based on your enthusiam I will audition the Proline. Thanks.
I suggest you give the mfg a call, ask to speak with the engineers and grill them on the circuit.
At that price point, the Krell is not likely fully balanced, which means that the balanced connections actually involve more circuitry. As such, it's understandable that it doesn't sound as good.
You're welcome. Both my brother and sister in law are EE's, and she would rather do gardening. If you ever go thru the southeast U.S., you could visit my system, if you like. Sorry you don't appreciate a wry sense of humor, but you'll get over it.