I have a preamp on my desk and an amp on the shelf above it. The cable runs amongst various other signal and power cables and there was always an audible level of hum coming from the speakers. Substituting RCA for XLR removed the hum completely. So there's that. In less challenging situations, though, I don't think either has an advantage.
Which is best, using balanced or non-balanced connection?
I trying to determine which is the best way to connect my preamp to an external power amp.
I currently have a Parasound hint 6 driving my B&W 804 D4s which I have had for a while. This combo seems to work well as I don't listen to music very loud. While visiting stereo shop I was talking while a salesman there he suggested that while the music may sound good I may not be getting the full sound of the music with the Hint 6. Investing in an external power amp would give me a better experience. So, I decided to use my Hint 6 as my preamp and get a Parasound A21+ or a preowned JC5. I'm leaning to the JC5. However, my question is how I should connect the external amp for the best sound. Should I use the balanced or unbalanced connection?