Balanced audio finds use where you have need for long cable runs, it has ability to reject noise and offer wider dynamic range than unbalanced audio.
However unbalanced can be made to similarly reject noise intrusion where opto coupling is used, and provide just as good, if not better ability for silence,
in the process improving signal to noise ratio. The NSL32SR3 LDR for instance offers this ability, however requires much care with how it is powered.
Marco (
The Headmaster )
might provide a review of a unit I sent to him late last year... if we are all good
Some equipment that benefits from balanced audio includes phono stages, seen in the Audio Synthesis ADEQ product of the 1990's. Also headphones can be
rewired for balanced audio and some amplifiers are provided with balanced inputs. Traditionally though balanced audio is used in recording studios and for live concerts.
http://www.aviom.com/blog/balanced-vs-unbalanced/
Whether balanced sounds better than unbalanced requires comparison using identical equipment. There is far more complexity with balanced audio. IMO the same advantages
it offers can be attained with unbalanced, as explained above. That said some stages like phono benefit from being arranged with RIAA eq being balanced and turntables wired for balanced
- which is due to the very small voltages involved. Taking this purist path requires attaining or building a balanced phono stage
Generally converting unbalanced to balanced can be done with a THAT 1646
http://www.thatcorp.com/1600-series_...iver_ICs.shtml
noting you need to regulate the current to each polarity of the devices power supply ( LM317/337 )