balanced power

In a normal unbalanced power line you have a hot conductor(120V to ground), a neutral conductor(0V to ground) and the ground. This unbalanced configuration permits low level noise contamination to pass through the power line directly to your sensitive audio components.

In balanced power the 120V to ground is converted to two 60V to ground. These 60V signals are 180 degrees out of phase with one another. You still have 120V, 60hz available at the outlet receptacles but the noise has been canceled out by common mode rejection.

I do not know of any drawbacks over unbalanced power. There are many good units out there to choose from.

The above explanation is from the Blue Circle Music Ring Conditioner web page. BC does make international versions in other voltages that incorporate a power bar with the outlets of your choice. For full disclosure, I am affiliated with BC.

That was a good reply Sugarbrie,thanks...

So, if you were able to run 240V equipment in the USA, [changing the outlet receptacle, and running a 240V line to it], would it sound better, since 240V is balanced...isn't it?

is this the same concept used in fully differentially balanced amps and pre amps?

Yes, American 240V is balanced.

Some equipment likes balanced power, some indifferent and very few are not compatible. For example, the SFL2 preamp was a completely different animal when fed balanced power, it loved it.

A simple isolation xformer won't do. You need a step-down with dual cores. Also need to derate the output by half. A 240/120 can be wired for balanced output if you put 120V in. I went one step further and used 240V.