[szore]

It's all subjective. Balanced will not make a bad dac sound good, and rca will not make a good dac sound bad. Depends on your ears and preference, hence why so many DACs exist. Otherwise we'd all hear the same things and agree.

I've had both DACs, and it really doesn't make a huge difference unless the dac has a power difference in the output. XLR can also make some amps sound "hot" if they have a higher voltage output (for example Dave has a 6v out via XLR iirc. Putting that connection into an amp that is already a bit forward would not sound good. It's been my personal experience that system matching is key.

Also, start at what comes from the wall, and work your way outward.

Outlet, power cords, source, dac, interconnects, amp, cable, headphones. With potentially a power conditioner in there as well. Despite all the bs you hear on the web, it absolutely makes a difference.

I thoroughly agree, the power cords and transformer and element H card and interconnects all come together with profound improvements in sound. Even my computer has a Odin2 power cord, also one on my dac and amp, and each cord made a quauntum improvement in the sound.

 

[Atriya]

In solid state often single ended vs balanced makes much less of a difference but with tube amps if you can you should probably use the balanced inputs if it is a balanced amp

In the opposite situation: I have a SE integrated tube amp that accepts balanced input via XLR, which it then converts to SE in the preamplification stage, claiming to do so in a "tube-coupled" way that is "without voltage loss".

Since balanced->SE conversion usually comes with voltage loss, I assume the preamp tubes are somehow being used to re-amplify the signal after conversion.

 

[agisthos]

The late Charles Hanson of Ayre once said single ended versions of their amplifier circuits always sounded better than balanced. This was coming from a company that would not even sell a component with single ended input/outputs, it was XLR or nothing. But once you take it off the testbench and put it all in one box with power supply so close - you get all the noise issues and balanced circuit is the way to go for practicality sake.

 

[Lucus]

From my experience with a Denafrips Ares II DAC:
I first ran it via RCA into a Yamaha A-S801.
Then I got a balanced Yamaha integrated, and updated to XLR interconnects.

The difference is there, and of course XLR is better -- so yes, technically you "waste" some of the DAC's potential by running it via RCA.
On the other hand... so what? It still sounds so much better than other DACs, and you have a good reason to upgrade to a balanced Amp in the future...

The basic tonal balance, and what makes the sound signature of a (Denafrips) R2R DAC are there regardless if connected via RCA or XLR.

I do not quite agree: It sounded better because you have implemented a full symetrical setup, not because of the DAC and/or the amp. If you plug a symetrical DAC via RCA to your asymetrical amp, you will have the sound your amp is intended to give, no more, no less...It will not "degrade" or lower the sound of your DAC in anyway.
And true, some prefer the sound of an asymetrical setup: More transparent, "musical" in a way (if this word means something). A symetrical set up may give you a more "hifish" sound.
But as always, it is a matter of association, synergies and your own taste....

 

[Whazzzup]

I believe the question of balanced dacs and unbalanced dacs, has eluded this forum. Most dacs have rca se out and xlr balanced out. If you leap frog to a superior topographic balanced amp, more throttle better imagery. BUT
dacs can be single ended like my chord TT which i love balanced out to my wa33 elite. Now TT is not balanced and the signal is converted to balanced through an analogue component, technically less pure, but organically way superior. so are balanced topography dacs better?

So the question should be 1) are balanced or unbalanced dacs better or worse for powering balanced or unbalanced amps?