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New TT : Balanced vs. Unbalanced Connection?

I am in a six-month process of assembling a system will last me for the next 5-10 years. I’m set on the components, so please do not try to talk me out of my selections. My question here is a technical one.

I have purchased a Thorens TD–1601 and a Nagaoka MP–200 cartridge. I am trying to decide on the Integrated amp between Yamaha’s A-S3200 and A-S2200. The key difference for this question being the A-S3200 has two balanced inputs and the A-S2200 has one. I will use the first balanced connection to connect a recently purchased HiFi Rose RS-150b Streamer/DAC.

Now to my real question. The semi-automatic Thorens TD-1601 has both balanced and unbalanced outputs. I am considering buying a Schitt Skoll phono pre which has balanced in-and-out. In that case, I would buy the Yamaha A-S3200, needing two balanced inputs.

So, ASSUMING the phono preamp on the Yamaha A-S2200 is comparable to the Schitt Skoll, will I get markedly better sound by going fully unbalanced, with the Skoll and the much more expensive A-S3200, or unbalanced direct from Thorens TT into the highly regarded phone pre of the A-S2200?

What benefits will I get by going balanced? How much benefit? It is worth the complexity, extra box, cables, $2,000-3,000? I can afford it if much better, but don’t want to spend money unnecessarily. The TT and the integrated will be right next to each other, so distance is not a factor. Or is the A-S3200 that much better? …I like the BIGGER meters.

My current speakers are Paradigm Reference Studio 40 v2, which I love and have two pair, a super sleeper. They are not likely to be changed…one day Fyne Audio.

To reiterate, this is a technical question about the merits of balanced turntable connections. Thanks for the input. I have learned much from this forum over the last few years.

 

gemoody

Showing 3 responses by sleepwalker65

sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 

Right question, wrong reason. You need to find out for yourself if induced noise from unbalanced interconnects is objectionable to you or not. 
 

That aside, unbalanced (using one of the signal conductors as the signal ground for the other signal conductor) is not best practice. Take the way the headshell wiring brings both signal conductors for each channel through the tonearm tube that is grounded fo the phono stage chasssis (not the turntable chassis). Using shielded twisted pair preserves and extends the tonearm tube shielding all the way to the phono stage. 
 

Oh, and one more thing, phono cartridges produce a differential signal that is not referenced to any ground, so the signal is neither balanced nor unbalanced, but it works best with balanced interconnects. 

sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 

This discussion has gone off-topic. It is supposed to be about the virtues of balanced, differential interconnects vs single-ended. Yes, much of it applies to other interconnects, but this discussion is about the interconnects between the turntable’s tonearm and the phono stage. 

sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 

@lewm : “I hope you get the salient point that ICs per se count for nothing if the phono stage (in this instance) is not capable of balanced operation. Therefore you can’t have one without the other.”

That is quite misguided. Single ended is in fact differential, with respect to signal ground. Using the signal ground of the unbalanced differential signal from your typical phono cartridge as a shield is utter madness. To understand why, you must look at the point of origin and understand that while it is not referenced to the phono stage chassis ground, that is the only ground available and appropriate for a shield, and it is well proven to be effective.

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