At this level of high(er) end audio why not offer balanced connections?

I personally think that most "higher end" audio products do provide balanced connections. At the same time, I don’t think they’re actually needed in all cases, and the manufacturer is probably saving some money by not providing them. On the other hand, some manufacturers may be actually losing out on some sales by not providing them. Educated audiophiles should already know what they’re looking for when shopping for audio gear. If balanced ins and outs are a priority for you, well then that may limit your choices. Some are actually slow to jump on the XLR bandwagon, and realize their benefits, as balanced audio has been in the pro field for decades already, to the point it’s almost old technology now. Next up is Dante (which is already being heavily used in the pro field).

@atmasphere

Bravo! Wonderfully stated!!

Pretty much every interconnect is balanced in my system. I try to limit my heavily shielded low capacitance RCA cables to 1 foot when possible; never exceeding 3 feet.

Not meaning to derail this thread, I’d be interested in your opinion of Dante sometime, and could it ever become part of the high end audiophile playing field someday (of course some high end manufacturers haven’t even stepped up to include balanced analog connections on their gear)? It looks like Dante is being used very successfully in the pro field.