Hello Tom,
It was a possibility.... but the stumbling block, in one aspect, is that there is not a single XLR connector that is built to handle the build requirements of a fluid conductor. They are all built to anchor and strain relief via the wire body and that is a total no-show for a fluid conduit. The second problem is that the idea of error correction and how it is handled in the analog domain on an electrical signal in the balanced configuration. That is a legacy mentality and methodology and it really should not be applied to electrical digital signal transfer. This was a big problem in early digital signal on balanced lines and also with HDMI. Early HDMI cabling, termination, and i/o hardware was not up to snuff.
What this indicates is that the method itself is hobbled from the get-go and the fix for it is a greater level of exactness..an exactness that says nothing about jitter. Digital coaxial probably has less inherent jitter, besides being able to deal with fairly high data rates. The balanced design in digital signal transfer, is mostly to prevent interference when running lines all across the floor or across the given connectivity area for a concert, or whatnot. ’Pro’ does not mean high fidelity in most cases, it just means ’must not fail in operational context’, and has no designs on fidelity, just functionality of connectivity.
Ie, the best way to build an analog audio balanced cable is probably -to ignore all the pro level requirements. In a home environment those pro design standards are virtually meaningless, they don’t apply.
I (the Ken part of Teo) buy into the idea of balanced amplifiers... but I don’t buy into balanced signal transfer in home high fidelity. I happen to think that the fluid is most well suited to balanced signal transfer, probably moreso than any wire. But that does not change the point that balanced is introducing two-three-four problems into the mix instead of just one, with each problem being tied to signal degradation. The degradation comes out as subtle high frequency transient information that is false... which some will interpret as greater levels of detail.
Circling back to the start, sort of..this degradation is shown to exist via the problems that occurred when AES/EBU and HDMI came into being. those problems were tamed enough to get the bits to transfer... but again, nothing about jitter.... and in analog, this would show as transient emphasis and damage.
You listen to an all balanced system..and what do your hear....but exactly that. :) The balanced emperor wears no clothes, kinda thing. Or at least ’clothes that have an inherently greater ability to tell the wrong stories’. Some people can make or put together great sounding all balanced systems, but not be aware that doing at least as well can also occur with a single end RCA connected system. Balanced can be more like hifi and RCA can be more like music. All things being equal, which they never are... but might average out to being -in the greater scope of the problem.
A clear headed analysis of analog audio signals, electronics, wire, dielectrics, signal transfer, etc..yields one inescapable fact..which is the best we can possibly do, is perfect signal transfer, minus some small aspects of fine detail, subtle, almost imperceptible degradation of transients and so on. Much like that of master tape vs a copy of the master, vs a copy of the copy and so on. It is more subtle than the degradation from honest tape duplication/copying, but it is most definitely there.
People try to fix that via equipment and cables and can sometimes end up with some given form of screech that finally intrudes enough that we recoil at the noise. At that given moment we may finally understand it is not increased detail, but ugly noise.
