sounstage too big bad thing

No disrespect intended at all, just a sincere question: Are you sure you didn't have the two channels connected out of phase relative to each other, when you listened to the XLO's?

Regards,
-- Al

Sounds like the XLO cables may be doing some good things. Moving speakers around (more toe in, closer together) and adding some absorptive room treatments at first reflection points may alleviate your SS problem.

Cables do make a difference in SS, I've heard the forwardness your speaking of many times.

No, I,m always pay close attention when connecting speaker cables as any other connection, the wall of sound coming at me was confusing my brain, sounds very seductive but thing is too much of a good thing, and have good acoustic treatment, so don't thing is an acoustic problem, if is a problem at all,
put the MIT back and much more focus, everything felt back in place, very weird, with the XLO, is just sound coming from everywhere, but very little instrument delineation, like out of focus, will try to move things around to see if any improvement,forgot to mention that also using XLO signature3 interconnect replace pre/amp with cardas GR, and made things worse too boomy.

What's the rest of your system? If the sound is out-of-focus, it sure sounds like somethings not in-phase.

Maybe one of the cables was assembled incorrectly, with black and red interchanged at one end, relative to the other end?

Regards,
-- Al