XLR cables for a reasonable price?

I agree with @cleeds 

Having industry professionals like Ralph around here at least provides interesting perspective and, in many cases, initiates discussions that result in me looking stuff up and learning new things.

They all have their own way of doing things, which creates variety in the gear we use, and they are passionate about the industry (a good thing).  There are a couple who stand out for their vehement belief that theirs is the only true path (i.e., Robert from Live-Vibe comes to mind) but I believe their participation is a positive addition to the discussions and I appreciate when they show up. 

Based on this discussion, I believe that equipment following the AES48 standard will exhibit no differences in sound between properly built cables. I also believe that there is well designed “balanced” gear that does not completely follow the standard and may be affected by cable design and quality. 

My question, how do you know whether a piece of equipment meets the AES48 standard to the letter? And what happens if you mix and match?

Mogami makes some of the best, and you could also make your own 

The standard addresses EMI rejection. More to sound quality than noise and interference.  

For example, if one were to compare silver wire XLRs to copper wire XLRs do you really believe there would be no difference in the sound?
 

The standard addresses grounding and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) through connections between cable shields/screens, shielding enclosures, and any EMI circuitry.