A balanced vs single ended cable, both being of similar CONFIGURATION, will transmit the waveform with identical defeciencies, therefore sound the same. The balanced cable however will show a +6 dB gain over the other. There is also some immunity to common mode noise, usually a minor consideration.
Balanced vs. Single Ended Interconnects
From your experience, would you expect a higher quality single ended interconnect or an entry level balanced interconnect to sound better when connecting two balanced components?
More specifically, I will be connecting a Denafrips Ares ii to a Pathos Classic One Mkiii and I currently have Audioquest Sydney RCA interconnects. Is it worth getting some cheap Monoprice XLR cables or should I just wait until I can justify purchasing something from Audioquest (probably Red River or Belden BAV) in the future.
- robot