Balanced vs. Unbalanced - What does it mean?

Best advice provided, IMO:

08-24-09: Blindjim

Try 'em out and see for yourself.

The technical discussion is educational, but for this OP, I'll wager listening is more helpful.

If a difference can be heard between running single ended versus running single ended to balanced using RCA>XLR adapters, then that's a positive step. The next step is to determine what sounds best *to the listener*. In the end, that's all that matters.

PS - IMO, there's zero benefit connecting single ended outputs (Linn) to balanced inputs (MC402). Might as well run single ended. But, try it both ways and decide for yourself.

In the end, a system built according to correct theory may still sound like crap compared with one assembled by someone with less technical acumen, but with better "ears" (i.e., judgment, taste, experience, etc).

And that's the irony of the whole discussion.

08-25-09: Almarg
...although of course in practice whether it would yield a net improvement, a net degradation, or no net change is dependent on the specific equipment and the specific noise environment.

Thank you, Almarg, for underscoring my point so well.

You gotta try it and listen. One method may sound better than the other. Maybe the better sounding method will happen to follow correct theory. Perhaps the better sounding method will not follow correct theory.

In either case, go with what sounds best.

This is how you end up with nice sounding products that do not reproduce the source material with much accuracy (measure badly but are claimed to be SOTA).
Shadorne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)

To the customers of this equipment, nice sounding is everything.

You may not be a customer for this gear, but that doesn't make the nice sounding gear, or the approach used by the company to achieve the nice sounding gear, any less valid than the gear you choose for its ultimate accuracy.

There are those who will choose Bryston (i.e. accuracy) over VAC (i.e. nice sounding) every time, and there are those who will do the opposite. Who is to say what is correct for each individual?

..."listen and see" may not get to nirvana for everyone...for some it could be the holy grail while for others it may mean getting lost in a forest of near random equipment flipping/experimentation in order to get the nicest sound.
Shadorne (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers)

There's no question that some basic knowledge is helpful to avoid tossing darts randomly.

Hasn't this been a learning process for you? It certainly has been for me.

Nevertheless, I believe there's no substitute for listening, and for tuning a system according to one's tastes. Haven't you done this, or have you stopped experimenting because of your belief in engineering and specs (no disrespect intended here...an honest question...)?

Let's be honest, the OP's question as it relates to his system is not particularly complicated, and neither is the answer. There are some well intended, and very thorough answers in this thread that go way beyond the scope of what's required to help him.