Balanced Amps

[ivseenbetter]

Ok, time for a dumb question from me.

What is the difference between a regular amp and a balanced amp? I keep reading about balanced amps and I don't have a clue why that is good or bad

 

[jcPanny]

Balanced amp

A balanced amp has ballanced inputs and outs via XLR connections vs. the typical unballanced RCA connections. The balanced connections become more important in long runs with lots of interference, this is why XLR is used for pro audio. Using a balanced amp and pre-pro it may be possible to achieve a slightly lower noise floor, but it is basically an audiophile feature.

 

[ivseenbetter]

Ok, so it isn't necessarily a must have feature. I thought my sound would be unbalanced or something if I didn't have it!