Using both balanced and single ended outputs at the same time?

If you’re using components with truly balanced circuitry, you often get 6 dB greater output when using the balanced XLR connectors. Another way of looking at that gain is that for a given output level, you’ll get 6 dB greater S/N when using balanced connections. That’s a big deal.

Gain which you can’t use... and at the levels we are typically talking about, 90 dB signal to noise, sure, I can measure 90 vs. 96, but I can't hear it.

Honestly we don’t need balanced cables in the home very often, but in areas where you have a lot of Ethernet and HDMI cables running around they add some additional noise rejection.

Unless you have a long run, I’d be surprised if anyone ever heard a difference.

I was once at a show in a high rise in NY, with Coda gear and boy could we have used it then.

@fastfreight This is very equipment specific. Most high quality devices which offer balanced outputs just mirror the hot signal with similar components, but perhaps only at the very output stage. It’s a bit of fear mongering to say that balanced outputs are normally inferior. They are not. In some cases however the inputs may make no difference. I know of at least a couple of amps which have XLR inputs and then ground the (-) pin. The XLR is just a convenience.

OTOH, using a transformer based output has the advantage of never causing a ground loop.