[Hifiearspeakers]

.

 

[Hifiearspeakers]

Here’s a screenshot of the power difference for the Ifi Diablo.

 

[nc8000]

I'm not familiar with any balanced amp that specifies different power output for balanced vs. single ended. Certainly the Woo headphone amps and Pass Labs amps I'm most familiar with only have one overall output power spec. Can you link to one or two?

Every single headphone amp and dap on the market with both single ended and balanced output specifies higher power output on balanced than on single ended.

This is the spec for my Sony TA-ZH1ES

Or the Sony 1A/1Z daps

 

[CAJames]

OK, I stand corrected. There are some amps that output more power balanced vs. unbalanced. But I still don't see any spec for that for the Woo Audio or Pass Labs amps that I know the best.

What balanced amps do is output higher voltage balanced vs unbalanced . Whether or not they can source enough current to drive that voltage across an arbitrary load seems like it is design dependent.

 

[nc8000]

OK, I stand corrected. There are some amps that output more power balanced vs. unbalanced. But I still don't see any spec for that for the Woo Audio or Pass Labs amps that I know the best.

What balanced amps do is output higher voltage balanced vs unbalanced . Whether or not they can source enough current to drive that voltage across an arbitrary load seems like it is design dependent.

As far as I can see Pass Labs only have one headphone amp and it only supports single ended. Woo Audio have various single ended and/or balanced amps but I don’t seem to be able to find anywhere where they even specify the power output apart from saying that they have plenty

 

[lantian]

I'm not familiar with any balanced amp that specifies different power output for balanced vs. single ended. Certainly the Woo headphone amps and Pass Labs amps I'm most familiar with only have one overall output power spec. Can you link to one or two?

Like every balanced amp that is balanced will have not double but more closer to 4x the power. Voltage is double. On case you are not trolling, here are just a couple of screenshots of specs. Only way single ended has same power and voltage is if balanced output is just a balanced socket connected to single ended output of the amp and ground and is there only for convenience case, like nex xduoo ta 26s.

 

[iFi audio]

As far as I can see Pass Labs only have one headphone amp and it only supports single ended.

That's true and most their entry-level speaker products are single-ended designs too. When Pass Labs makes a balanced design however, it's balanced all the way front to back.

 

[nc8000]

 

[Ufanco]

I was concerned with having whole system balanced thinking in greatly improve sound quality. After using 2 inexpensive balanced tube amps I decided to get a better quality tube amp when I upgraded iems. I ended up getting an unbalanced hybrid tube amp and don’t regret it at all.
With iem power is not an issue and many tubes amp don’t work well with iems. Finding a tube amp for iem was more difficult than for headphones or speakers.
Guess point making is not to limit yourself to just balanced aspect. Look at the rest of the setup and find what will work the best.

 

[iFi audio]

I'm stealing that

Guess point making is not to limit yourself to just balanced aspect. Look at the rest of the setup and find what will work the best.

Exactly. Some products were designed as truly balanced designs that used in this way will sound at their best. However, many devices provide balanced inputs and outputs mainly for convenience and as such these products will sound best upon using them as single-ended machines. As with all things in audio, the balanced/SE topic isn't all black and white

 

[iFi audio]

I haven’t noticed a difference.

That's fine too, no all products will sound demonstrably different in balanced and SE modes.