Hegel H80 Balanced vs Unbalanced Inputs

nquery - FWIW, I'm running a Hegel H200 with XLR connections (AQ Columbia) from a Schitt Gungnir.  I think the sound is sweeter and clearer than it was using RCAs (Morrow Audio MA4s, as I recall).  

n - I'd be lying to you if I said, "absolutely YES" about the soundstage.  BUT along with the greater clarity, both imaging and soundstage depth might well be a little more evident...imaging for certain.  Whatever the contributing factors, musicality took a step forward for me.  I always used to wonder what people meant when they said, "musicality".  What it is to me in this context is a an increased listenability - a greater ease in the presentation.  I ain't going back to single-ended in any case.  If it is just placebo, what's so bad about that?  It's all about what happens between your ears anyway!

Schiit does have a return policy (you will get bit for restocking and return freight)  so you could order, compare XLR and RCA outputs, if you don't hear a difference send it back and get the Audio GD.  Shouldn't matter if the Gungnir is not fully broken in in terms of hearing a difference between SE & balanced (or so I think).  Good luck with your decision.