Several years ago we build a prototype four channel DAC, preamp, and power amp, all with then current OmegaStar solid state circuits. These all were true balanced line components with separate left pus, left minus, right plus, and right minus signal path and circuits. This combination provided four separate signal paths from the source to the speakers. Doing this essentially cancelled common mode distortion in each component and background hum picked up by the cables too.
This combination did sound better overall than the two channel separates we were building at that time. They would have been expensive to build and sell. However the sonic improvements suggested another design path to us. Since these four channel path components showed us there remained some distortion components in the stereo versions we had missed, the clever and economical thing to do was to simply see if we could just design that distortion out.
We did design significantly cleaner two channel solid state units, our Insight series. When we installed the new Insight audio circuits in our old four channel balanced line prototypes, guess what, there remained no musical differences between the upgraded prototype four channel units and our new two channel Insight units. Inasmuch as the two channel units were low noise too, the Issue was solved without the need for the nearly double extra cost of the true balanced line units.
So we never produced the four channel balanced line components as it appeared they had nothing useful to offer other than extra cost, and that is not the way we do things here.
The new Transcendence Ten RB preamp is my best effort so far to produce a superb, quiet, and engaging stereo audio preamplfiier at an affordable price. It would not be a true Real Basic unit if we had to build in or provide for balanced line connections we are suspect of.
So whether you believe in balanced line or not, please just consider this great new preamp as it is and leave discussions of other matters elsewhere.
Thank you
Frank Van Alstine