The answer to your question is perhaps. But you need to perform comparisons in your system to be certain.
I won't pretend to be an expert, but to the best of my knoweldge, a system need not be fully balanced in order to obtain any sonic benefits from using balanced or XLR connections and cables.
In fact, truly balanced components are generally much more expensive and rumor has it that any sonic benefits of truly balanced components are often times negligible at best.
Depending on equipment design, (and without regard for true balance design) there are several potentials where balanced ic's can provide sonic benefits to a given system:
o Balanced connections can sometimes provide a lowered distortion and/or noise floor.
o Balanced connections typically put out approx. 4 volts when compared to the approx. 2 volts from single-ended connections. This doubling of the voltage alone can provide little to much in the way of macro-dynamic swings and more pronounced bass in some to many systems. Thus giving you a little bit or a lot more of that live bite, just like live music.
o Balanced connections, as opposed to single-ended connections, usually allow for much greater cable lengths with little or no signal degradation.
Components need not be fully balanced to take advantage of any of these benefits. The components only need to provide balanced inputs and outputs.
Personally, I wouldn't want to leave home without balanced ic's.
-IMO
I won't pretend to be an expert, but to the best of my knoweldge, a system need not be fully balanced in order to obtain any sonic benefits from using balanced or XLR connections and cables.
In fact, truly balanced components are generally much more expensive and rumor has it that any sonic benefits of truly balanced components are often times negligible at best.
Depending on equipment design, (and without regard for true balance design) there are several potentials where balanced ic's can provide sonic benefits to a given system:
o Balanced connections can sometimes provide a lowered distortion and/or noise floor.
o Balanced connections typically put out approx. 4 volts when compared to the approx. 2 volts from single-ended connections. This doubling of the voltage alone can provide little to much in the way of macro-dynamic swings and more pronounced bass in some to many systems. Thus giving you a little bit or a lot more of that live bite, just like live music.
o Balanced connections, as opposed to single-ended connections, usually allow for much greater cable lengths with little or no signal degradation.
Components need not be fully balanced to take advantage of any of these benefits. The components only need to provide balanced inputs and outputs.
Personally, I wouldn't want to leave home without balanced ic's.
-IMO