Balanced vs. Single Ended Interconnects

OK @mceljo - if you do not want to take the time and try them, then it will be hard to determine if the inexpensive ones will work just fine or not… and also will be hard to understand what the $200 cables would do that the cheaper ones would not do.

Someone needs to mess with building them, either you pay someone, or you build them yourself.

Obviously I like the convenience of being able to build them in the specific length, on a Sunday when the stores are closed.

Well, the new DAC arrived last night and I anticipate being satisfied with it for a long time to come.  It was a clear step up across the board, so if balanced cables can make a further improvement, that time will come.

In my system, XLR interconnects are no better at rejecting noise than RCA/single-ended cables.  In fact, they're worse.  I get a 60 cycle hum with XLRs between my preamp and amps that I don't get at all with RCAs.

All 3 of my upper end DACs are fully balanced designs.  All three sound better with XLR cables than RCA, from the same manufacturer.  Not Mogami but Grover Huffman cables (lower cost boutique).  

A balanced vs single ended cable, both being of similar CONFIGURATION, will transmit the waveform with identical defeciencies, therefore sound the same.  The balanced cable however will show a +6 dB gain over the other.  There is also some immunity to common mode noise, usually a minor consideration.