XLR interconnects

i noticed a difference in XLR's ...  lowered the noise floor, quieter background noise....  can't hear a thing in my system... my components are balanced as well though... even if your components isn't balanced, XLR still helps...  not all XLR interconnects are true balance design... if it doesn't say they are in the description then you better ask the manufacturer .... 

on another point.....I noticed that the sound of dif. bal. interconnections have far less sound differences in the many brands that are offered...

Agree stringreen. XLR's can sound good on a reasonable budget, whereas you have to up the budget substantially more to get to a similiar performance from RCA's.

(https://www.presonus.com/news/articles/balanced-unbalanced) Some fully balanced devices(like my BAT VK-D5) will output twice the voltage with their balanced connection, and will also vary impedances, which may sound much different than their single-ended connection, depending on things like whether the device being fed’s input is truly differential, it’s impedance, etc. Here’s an article that notes some of the variables, in it’s measurements/comments: (http://www.stereophile.com/content/balanced-audio-technology-vk-d5-cd-player-measurements#MxCpgkJ7CX...) Keep in mind, if both devices are fully differential, more voltage/headroom=louder=sounds better to the ear, and may actually measure better(freq response), in some cases.

" Effort?  What effort?

XLR is the default.  Just do it! "

The effort for buying new cables for a system that's not balanced. And if the components are single ended, op amps are used to accommodate the cables, and can actually degrade sound quality. The money is better spent elsewhere.