I have'em all balanced now:
Technoarm rewired to have balanced(just split the ground wire onto two and connect +,- and ground accordingly 2x2=?); Classe 30 phono inputs rewired to balanced as well; CD to preamp balanced from the beginning; Tape in-out rewired to balanced(for AtoD recording); Headphone amp is with balanced in/outs. Did a 'brutal' job on Classe 30 chassis(this preamp I bought with imperfect chassis for the low hundreds). Had to eliminate 'video' and 'aux' inputs in order to increase space. Other than that, the preamp is fully balanced from the beginning with all necessary isolation of negative signal path from the ground. Piece of cake just like rewireing to convert all inputs you need. Certainly out pre to poweramp is balanced from the beginning.
There's no indeed RCA cable for ANY price that will sound better than cheap XLR.
The effect on the analogue set up was extreamly amazing: gain, definition control went high up above!
I now have a few projects of converting to balanced that I implement for friends for now (SS equipment only for now but will think of tube designs as well). I plan to charge x-amount per converting each input/output unbalanced to balanced and probably 3...4x amount for converting same for tube equipment depending on amount of chassis work.
Technoarm rewired to have balanced(just split the ground wire onto two and connect +,- and ground accordingly 2x2=?); Classe 30 phono inputs rewired to balanced as well; CD to preamp balanced from the beginning; Tape in-out rewired to balanced(for AtoD recording); Headphone amp is with balanced in/outs. Did a 'brutal' job on Classe 30 chassis(this preamp I bought with imperfect chassis for the low hundreds). Had to eliminate 'video' and 'aux' inputs in order to increase space. Other than that, the preamp is fully balanced from the beginning with all necessary isolation of negative signal path from the ground. Piece of cake just like rewireing to convert all inputs you need. Certainly out pre to poweramp is balanced from the beginning.
There's no indeed RCA cable for ANY price that will sound better than cheap XLR.
The effect on the analogue set up was extreamly amazing: gain, definition control went high up above!
I now have a few projects of converting to balanced that I implement for friends for now (SS equipment only for now but will think of tube designs as well). I plan to charge x-amount per converting each input/output unbalanced to balanced and probably 3...4x amount for converting same for tube equipment depending on amount of chassis work.