On my Ultima the difference was notable in favour of the balanced cables. I’m using TT 2 though and not Dave so perhaps that or the Ultima makes a difference
I would imagine Chords answer would be the same for the TT2/Ultima, i.e. the benefit would be to the Ultima.
Sean Jacobs has always recommended to me not to power the Mscaler from the same PSU as anything else, even when it is a different rail. His reason is noise fired back into the dc supply by the Mscaler and that is why he stopped making power supplies which could supply the Mscaler and other items from multiple rails in the same power supply.
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Funny you should say that. I’ve literally just been shifting the 2nd rail to the Roon NUC which is separated from the rest of the system by the optical network.
Compared to the power bank on the M Scaler, it was just that bit too bright for my liking! Especially with speakers… sounded good with my Empyreans though.
I’ll see if it makes any difference with the NUC. It’s main purpose was the OpticalRendu so no hardship if it doesn’t.
Good luck with the ORendu. I enjoyed mine into a TT2, until I decided to realign the whole of my main system and buy a Naim Classic system instead and also ‘downsize’ to a Hugo2 in the process (thinking about a 2Go for the H2 post-lockdown and once back on business/ project travels)
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Yes the Etude is a balanced design, and the Dave is a single ended… so at one end or the other you are converting single ended to balanced… on the whole I feel happier with the Dave unbalanced outputs… Rob Watts says the Dave is at its most transparent with unbalanced outputs.
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Presumably, your no longer using a pre-amp of any sorts (552) and feeding the Etude, direct from Dave? 
I was just over on the TT2 head-fi forum reading that a member just bought a Naim Core as his source, and is very happy with it. He also uses a Laptop for Tidal, and I noticed he uses an iGalvinic 3.0 between his laptop and the TT2.
So I looked it up, and came across a Darko review of it from 2017. He seemed to like what it did. I will quote what he wrote, comparing it to a few other items
Quote
“ On a scale of one to ten, where one is a Raspberry Pi 3’s stock USB output – the weakest sounding digital transport heard by this reviewer to date – and ten is, say, a dCS Network Bridge, the iGalvanic 3.0 takes the Macbook Air from a 2 to a 2.2. This scoring system is for illustrative purposes only.”
End Quote.
I know Toonartist was going to try an ISO regen, but that did not happen, and he got a Rendu product. Many guys on here seem to of tried various products seeking the ultimate sound.
What I like about Darko’s rating system is that he rated the DCS network bridge as the top product, since it is what I set my sights on one day.
I think I will just sit tight where I am, until I can afford the DCS bridge, I mean, why waste money on little gizmo’s and power supplies, battery packs etc., when that one product seems to do everything I want.
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Yes, I am not now using a 552, I am using the preamp built into the Dave instead.
For me, I wanted a compact but high end solution given the reduced space available . The OpticalRendu and it’s optimisation of an optical network was the other key factor. Probably add a EtherRegen or a Sonore Optical Module at some point. The LPS certainly made a big difference to its performance and ideally should be considered early on to maximise its sound quality.
I guess the removal of the preamp lends itself to better sound
I realize a lot of these components are tiny, but surely they all add up to a lot of space. Don’t you have battery packs, or linear power supplies on most of your components? I have one empty Fraim shelf, where a black DCS network bridge would slot in nicely. 
It’s the width more than anything. As you can see below, it fits, blends in nicely to the office furniture etc. For yourself, you have more options with the Fraime shelf 
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Where is the Nuc hiding?
Now it’s on the network, it’s at the other end of the room on a spare shelf beside the router under the desk.
Well the preamp is important which is why as I say I use the preamp built into the Dave - and enable that preamp to work with the Etude. I prefer at the moment to use the unbalanced preamp outputs as opposed to balanced. I am also a believer of system synergy which often, though not always aligns with a manufacturer - and the Dave preamp working with Etude I suppose brings that.
The preamp in the Dave is intrinsically an unbalanced design (like Naim NACs) - with balanced converters on the output would you wish to use them.
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I knew you’d see the light eventually, Simon 
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I don’t know why anyone would use the 552 in lieu of the DAVE direct in this circumstance. Would be a bizarre use of money and a quick way to tarnish the signal for no reason. Nothing would be offered aside from helping with impedance matching, which wouldn’t be necessary anyway.
Funnily enough I reported the value of direct to power amp from Dave several years ago, including noting its suitability with a wide range of power amp input impedances, avoiding unnecessary electronics and the inevitable modifying effect (though noting that a preamp still necessary if people also have analogue sources).
Some people of course may simply like the sound given by their preamp, while it is commonly suggested that unlike many, Naim power amps need a Naim pre to perform properly. One person here who has recently ‘seen the light’ had already changed to a different power amp, so for them it may be because of the aforementioned interdependency of NAP on NAC, taking a change in power amp to remove the need for pre. I found Dave better into both a MF P270 and Bryston 4B sst power amps than through either of two preamps. I’m not sure that I’ve seen anyone using a Naim power amp reporting dropping the NAC, though also not sure how many have tried.
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I think some people just don’t accept that there are multiple ways to skin a cat.
For many there is only way way: the Naim way. And for a few die hards, that extends even as far as only using speakers that have Naim’s obvious, or implied approval (Naim, or Focal).
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