Use the same brand and model of interconnect (balanced and unbalanced) for a fair comparison. Generally balanced operation tends to be a bit quieter and have greater gain (inherent in the electronics design) which often translates to slightly better bass control and dynamics. I've also experienced a bit of improvement in midrange "body" using balanced connections vs. unbalanced with the same gear. This tends to make the highs a bit less strident too. These effects are subtle (usually) but can eek the last little bit of smoothness out of a system (sometimes).
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