Best XLRs under $500 a pair

+1 Wire World if you are looking for an uncolored interconnect.

Recently I loaned a friend a pair of Eclipse 8 balanced. He had something decent but I can't recall the brand. He was shocked by the improvement. Up to this point, he didn't consider cable quality and design to be important. He has a nice system driving Legacy Signature SE speakers.

It's important that you audition before you buy. Otherwise, it's a crap shoot.

@bobbyloans 

I just bought a pair of Audioquest Colorado XLR’s for $450 a pair, new. They listed for $900, but they are last year’s model. 
 

All the best.

JD

I am about to commit heresy; Benchmark. 
 

+1 on Wireworld Eclipse 8 XLR. -1 on Canare/Benchmark. I replaced a Canare XLR with a Cardas Parsec XLR between a Benchmark HPA4 and AHB2. Definite improvement. (Maybe from disconnecting a cable and reconnecting another, but I doubt it.) I then moved the Cardas elsewhere, replacing it with a Wireworld Eclipse 8. The replacement occurred not too long after the Canare was replaced, so it's unlikely there was any crud that needed to be dislodged, etc. I greatly preferred the sound of the Wireworld: More detail, no increase in any sort of unpleasantness, etc. Of course, in both cases, it could have been confirmation bias or whatever.

+1 On WW, Cardas is good and good resale but warmer.

Check that your equipment is really balanced sometimes it's not and you'll get better sound from RCAs.