XLR cables for a reasonable price?

atmasphere

... there are only three ways to do it and they all cost money. One way is to use an output transformer, another way is the way we do it, which we patented. Most high end companies don’t like paying patent fees solely on ego (’not invented here’). There’s an integrated circuit that does the job as well, but many tube preamp producers are loathe to put something like that at the output of their preamp.

And then there's the fourth way, which I think may be the most common: use an operational amplifier. ("Op-amp.") They can be fully discrete, and seem to be the approach used by many, such as ARC, for example.

atmasphere

Opamps can generate a balanced output easily enough, but not one that is floating.

Correct. And I know you are really focused on the AES48 balanced standard, because you keep mentioning it. But you’ll just have to accept that many manufacturers use balanced, differential circuits in other ways, and they do so successfully.

inna

One of the problems, and a big one, as I see it, is Ralph’s endless self-advertising. As if there were no other good amps or engineering approaches. There are, and many. I believe that manufacturers and dealers should be honorably dismissed. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge and skill they might have, this is not a proper place for them to be.

I appreciate the sentiment but I think the conversations still benefit from people like Ralph. His bias is pretty obvious, but we all have biases. Frankly, I think Ralph’s presence and contributions here sometimes hurt his business as much as helps it.

atmasphere

The puzzling thing is why the balanced standard is so commonly ignored in high end audio.

You understand that AES48 is just one "standard," correct? There are other ways to design balanced components and choosing an alternative doesn't mean the standard you so cherish is "ignored."

When I take a banana out of the fridge, I'm not ignoring the apple. I'm choosing one over the other.

atmasphere

My only point here is that if they don't support the standard, the cable will be a veil.

Yes, we can agree that it seems that's your only point. I'm not sure that I agree with the premise that the cables in my mostly-ARC system represent a "veil" on the sound, but I understand that you're absolutely certain that they do. After all, they do not employ your patented Balanced Differential Design® circuit.