Which is best, using balanced or non-balanced connection?

Your challenge will be to find a decent turntable with balanced outputs

@audiojacks Since the phono cartridge is a balanced source, all you have to do is replace the tonearm interconnect cable. If the arm has a 5-pin plug this is quite easy, if a set of RCA jacks with a ground post its also easy.

Its a bit harder if the arm wiring is also the interconnect cable, but if this is the case its usually just a matter of changing the connectors at the end of the cable. Some arms, like the Triplanar, which are built this way can be ordered with XLR outputs.

The reason for doing this is by running the cables balanced (and if the signal is received in this manner) then you minimize the artifact of the cable itself. If you’ve ever auditioned cables and heard a difference that is what I’m talking about.

In any system with a turntable, the tonearm cable is the place where you really have to get it right as no matter how good the rest of your system is, it won’t be able to make up for a deficiency in the cable.

Another obvious advantage is the cable doesn’t have to be expensive for it to be do this. That is what ’cable immunity’ is all about :)

However, my question is how I should connect the external amp for the best sound. Should I use the balanced or unbalanced connection?

@mjrice2 If your amp has a balanced input and is internally balanced, driving it balanced will allow it to have slightly lower distortion.

If the equipment supports AES48 you'll get less interaction (possibly quite a lot less) with the interconnect cables. In my system even though its quite revealing, you can't hear interconnect cable differences on this account.