Balanced vs. Unbalanced - What does it mean?

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?

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

Good point. I think one needs to be aware of both valid philosophies and make one's choices accordingly. I can't tell where the OP's preferences sit but hopefully both the technical and non technical advice will be helpful.

I guess all I am saying is that "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.

..."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.

All - thanks again for all the expertise.

It appears there is no damage that can be done to try an RCA male output from my Linn preamp and a XLR male input into the MC402 amp. I can try it relatively cheaply with the cables in the links provided above by Almarg and see how it sounds for myself!