I, like several here have the Bifrost2 connected to a single ended amp with RCA and a different amp via XLR (balanced).
Both are high quality and I’ll be damned if I can ascribe any audible difference between the two. One is used for dynamic and planar phones and the other for electrostatic ones so how the heck it’s connected is the least of any differences.
I get the feeling that either I’m missing something here, or, as was famously said in Cool Hand Luke “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” Normal line level input voltages are, as you correctly point out 2V single ended and 4V balanced. So what?
At least in my relatively quiet (electrically speaking) environment there is no particular advantage one way or the other, single ended or balanced. The interconnects between amp and DAC are only about a foot long. With the amp that takes either single ended or balanced input, it is expecting either a 2 v or 4 v line in respectively – there is no “extra” power with one or lack of power with the other.
I’m not sure that I’m saying this right. There clearly are differences between DACs and amps. I think that other design parameters and quality of implementation are far more important than the style of connection.
Your right, doesn’t mean balanced is necessarily better.
Assume a fair amount of you also enjoy vinyl, so looking for recommendations on a nice phono stage. I’ve got a Technics SL 1500C, which currently runs into my Marantz Integrated amp (has a decent phono pre in it) and from there into KEF speakers.
Looking for the stage for both upping the quality of the current setup and then also, once I get my top shelf tube amp, connecting the turntable right into it through the phono stage.
Vast majority (95%) of music is jazz on the turntable.
ALSO, since I’ve read this matters, I’ve upgraded the cartridge to the Audio Technica VM740ML.
Lehmann Black Cube SE with upgraded power supply will serve you for a long time, both MM and MC cartridges.
It is relatively inexpensive and works very well.
Okay, I’ll bite. Correct, no difference from what i also read. Balanced is two signals, normal and inverted (add those together, 4v from peak to peak), then the average between the two is used (2v, same as se). So, i agree, no difference in power. Truly balanced separates the ground where se does not. Is the balanced cleaner? Maybe. It’s funny how we sometimes worry about ground loops, noise, etc. why wouldn’t we want balanced if it’s possibly. Maybe all that work and expense to fully balance an amp and dac is a waste. In that case, why not buy the cheaper alternative. It was an interesting read.
What’s your budget? Do you want tubes or solid state?
These are the ones I narrowed it down to when I was looking last year:
Hegel Music Systems - V10
Phono Box RS2 – Pro-Ject Audio Systems (project-audio.com)
E.A.T. E-Glo Petit | EuropeanAudioTeam.com
Phonos – SPL
Ultimately, I chose Stellar Phono Preamplifier – PS Audio and absolutely love it.
Thank you both! Budget is flexible. My mind is very much built around “what if,” unfortunately, so I have quarrel splurging for top quality.
You might want to check out the used selection at Hawthorne:
Oh that Luxman is pure SEX.
I am not allowed around Luxman integrated amps without supervision.
It’s for the best, really.
hahahaha and why is that? Spontaneous combustion? Need to change pants?
My wife would rather kill me prior to the purchase than post purchase. Community property state and all that.
I can relate to that!
Welp, ordered that Luxman Phono Pre 
You’re gonna need the matching turntable!
Headphone amplifier and preamp to drive Susvara effortlessly, with a very good preamp section. Separate HP gain and Preamp pregain settings would be delightful too.
That was my first thought.
Only some reservations;
And I can’t demo it. So apart form that, it appeals.
Yeah, the lack of reviews is perplexing. I spent several months earlier this year scouring the internet for any sign of a review and could not find ONE. Now there are at least a few. I guess Violectric feels no need to put any resources into marketing this. Fwiw, what I gathered from my months-long consideration was that it’s more resolving than V280, but lacks the warmth V280 is known for, so that’s probably where the “meh” summation is coming from (when you’re hoping for magical warmth, linearity is “meh”). The preamp is supposedly spectacular.
I think Flux went back to the drawing board to add a preamp to Volot, not sure when they expect to have it in production though.