Anybody use a single ended component with one that is balanced?

...Balanced pre & amp will provide 6db additional gain and reject noise. It's a clear advantage... 

Sometimes the added gain will show up as noise in your loudspeakers and you'll need to attenuate the gain. Balanced cables are most useful for long runs in noisy environments. There is nothing inferior about single ended connections.  

Don't put single ended and balanced cables in the same system, unless they are not differentially balanced. 

I'm pretty sure the connection between components with balanced cables still works regardless of what is upstream or downstream. 

If operating balanced and the volume winds up being higher, its a sign that the equipment does not support the balanced standard.

I’m not an electrical engineer but a lot of amps have the balanced outputs at plus 3db. Not sure why or how, perhaps to compensate for long cable runs that the balanced lines are designed for, but it’s a fact of life and sometimes needs to be addressed.