Balanced IC used as Digital cable

Thanks for the explanation.

"But does that mean that digital cables may make for better IC's?"

Quality of metal is not important with digital signals. Low grade copper is often silver plated since signal at high frequencies tends to travel on the surface (skin effect). Quality of metal as well as low dielectric constant of insulation is important with analog IC to keep capacitance and dielectric absorption low. Many ICs use Teflon or even foam Teflon.

Final proof is the sound. If you like it - use it.

Thanks. But does that mean that digital cables may make for better IC's?

There are two virtues of digital cable: good shielding and consistent exact characteristic impedance. Digital signal reflects in the cable on impedance boundaries contaminating (changing shape) edges (transitions) of the signal therefore creating timing jitter. This jitter is noise in time domain - creates two sidebands to each frequency (not harmonically related to it). With complex signal (music) it will be a lot of sidebands = noise that is proportional to amplitude of the signal. It can be detected only as lack of clarity since it is not present when there is no signal.

There might be no audible difference with jitter suppressing
DACs like Benchmark DAC1.

Try them again paying attention to clarity that might appear as blacker background, better imaging or smoother sound.