C2200 - Balanced or Unbalanced?

[siqbal]

I've had a C2200 pre for over a year now and am currently running everything single-ended (sources and amp). I know the C2200 isn't fully balanced internally yet it provides for balanced inputs and outputs. Is there then any benefit to switching to balanced interconnects?

[jetblack]

Go to the Mac specs below and look at the output ratings (balanced vs unbalanced). That's your benefit.

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/mcintosh-c2200-vacuum-tube-preamplifier.asp

[Victor]

The benefit of using balanced interconnects on your C2200 would be if you have long interconnects (over 10 feet) or if you are picking up RFI/EMI noise on the interconnects.

If you don't have problems with these items I would recommend just keeping things single ended. When I had my C2200 and MC162 amp I did some comparisons and I liked the sound of the single ended RCA interconnects in my system better than the balanced interconnects.

[jdmeyers]

The only balanced IC I have is the 15' cables running from my 275 (resting between the speakers) over to where the 2200 and source components reside. Especially if you use a high quality neutral single-ended like the Cardas Neutral Reference (which I use exclusively so as not to have to waste any thought on whether my cables are "coloring" the sound), IMO you'll be fine.

Just my take...

[nsgarch]

The 275 because it's not a balanced circuit design, has a splitter/inverter circuit to provide the amp with the two equal-but-opposite-polarity signals it needs to operate (when it's driven it single-ended.) This is what the V-1 12AX7 does. If you drive the amp balanced, that little (tube) circuit is out of the signal path, and the amp will be quieter (lower noise floor.) You still need to leave that first tube in place though to complete the filament circuit for V-2 but it doesn't do anything and can be any ole working 12AX7.

The 1:2 voltage in the single-vs-balanced 2200 output specifications jetblack mentions, is moot once an incoming single-ended signal is split and inverted by the amp.

. . . . remember, no dancing on the noise floor!!:nono: