[schmidtmike76]

I’ve read many posts here balanced vs single ended.  I have the 26 into the 4b3 and BDA3.  I’m currently running all balanced.  Some of James posts I don’t understand the tech knowledge is above me. I’ve seen some contradictions weather we’re fully balanced or differential.  I have no idea what that means either even after Dr Google.  I’ve also seen some posts that single ended sounds better, and some say XLR was better.  I can’t try both and am moving up a line with cables. 

Bryston family I want to hear you’re opinion about balanced vs single ended and if you have done both and what changed good or bad. 

[Elizabeth]

First off most of the arguments about it all are THEORETICAL. And not based on listening.
Particularly the discussion on "TRUE' balanced circuitry. Yes yes the separate signal path for each half of a balanced circuit would be theoretically better. It also cost twice as much.
FYI Bryston IS NOT balanced via separate circuits through and thru for balanced operation.
As for using  balanced or single ended, I find the more important thing to be the difference in the signal strength. Being the fact the balanced is twice the voltage of single ended
And the fact balanced is (again theoretical since I will not spend $3,200 just to compare the two for the 7 meter run between my Bryston BP-26 and 4B-SST² amp) better theoretically, at longer runs.
The voltage matters, particularly from some digital components where not only is the signal over 4 volts it is way over 4 volts balanced.
Some gear gets overloaded, And I have to complain my Bryston gear has too much gain.. in general. but it still sound so good I live with it.. daily.

[James Tanner]

Hi Folks,

Just for clarification the 7B's 14B's and 28B's are 'Fully Balanced' Designs.

The rest are 'Differentially Balanced' at their INPUTS.

james

[schmidtmike76]

Morning James but what does that mean exactly.  Does that mean on short interconnect runs under3M single ended will sound the same.  Will single end reject noise from the outside line like a balanced interconnect will do.  Terms that I can understand is there any point with my 4B3 to run balanced? 

[Speedskater]

Note that there is a great difference between a balanced XLR interconnect system and a 'Fully Balanced' internal circuit design.
Balanced XLR interconnect systems can and do reduce noise and interference under some conditions. More so with long interconnects or when components are power from different AC circuits or in harsh interference environments.

[schmidtmike76]

Note that there is a great difference between a balanced XLR interconnect system and a 'Fully Balanced' internal circuit design.
Balanced XLR interconnect systems can and do reduce noise and interference under some conditions. More so with long interconnects or when components are power from different AC circuits or in harsh interference environments.

does it make a difference in our systems at home under 3M.  Some say yes, some say RCA sounds more lively.  I’m using XLR right now and I don’t even here one hiss from the tweeter with my ear right up to it.  That speaks volume to the 4B3.

[James Tanner]

Note that there is a great difference between a balanced XLR interconnect system and a 'Fully Balanced' internal circuit design.
Balanced XLR interconnect systems can and do reduce noise and interference under some conditions. More so with long interconnects or when components are power from different AC circuits or in harsh interference environments.

Hi Folks,

I think Speedskater says it best (see above). 

Internal fully balanced designs are twice as expensive to do as single ended designs. We use the fully balanced designs in the 7B/14B and 28B amplifiers due to the design of the specific circuits we are using (Series Design) and not based on noise reducing circuits.  The Balanced inputs on 'ALL' our products are 'Fully Differential' designs and are there to reduce any noise picked up by the cables from being amplified by the gear in question.

I generally use Balanced lines where they are available because I feel that the world is becoming very crowded when it comes to all this electromagnetic energy floating around in space.  Cables are antennas to this interference and balanced lines reject any of this electrical noise due to what is called 'common mode noise rejection'.

So in order to implement this common noise reduction there is an extra circuit required ... 2 circuits in fact - one sending the balanced signal and one receiving the balanced signal. So it could be argued that these 2 extra circuits are detrimental to the accuracy of the signal and therefore single ended is the more accurate option.

I would argue that a well implemented Balanced Differential circuit is the better of the options available given the electrical soup we all live in ... even in short distances like 3 meters etc.

By the way three general ways differential balancing can be undertaken ... a transformer, an integrated circuit or the way we do it which is with a fully discrete differential fully balanced circuit. We feel it eliminates any possible noise pickup as well as provides no degradation of the incoming signal.

So like they use to say ... if you got-em-smoke-em.  If you have balanced circuits in your system use them!

best
james

[schmidtmike76]

Thanks James that really helped clear it up.  As of now I’m really I’ve never heard a system that didn’t have a hiss with your ear up the tweeter, until this one.  There isn’t 1DB of hiss at idle. 
My issue/concern is how some will say single ended is more lively and some balanced is better.  At this point let’s just say it’s subjective.  As I’m upgrading I just want to do it right the first time. 

[Speedskater]

Hi Folks,
I think Speedskater says it best (see above). 
....................................... ......
best
james

Actually I think that James says it best.

[dubkarma]

At the risk of stating the obvious, any listener with Bryston gear can decide him- or herself.

Spend a day or two, or longer, listening with all single-ended connections—player/DAC > preamp >power amp—and then with all balanced. And then back again.

As regards the whole business of what balanced is, and how it may benefit audio playback, etc., I read a very helpful discussion on the Benchmark website.

And as has already been mentioned, part of the advantage, the Benchmark engineer points out, is the higher voltage; in effect, a better S/N ratio. It's a technical discussion but not at all hard to follow if you take it slow. . .