XLR interconnects

" cable I should get although my dealer is offering me a nice deal for the unbalanced Audioquest Water rca interconnect cables. "

That's a good choice. It's pretty hard to screw up with AQ. They sound good in just about any system. And like your dealer said, they can be converted to balanced at any time. AQ puts 3 discreet solid core conductors in they're IC's, so it's easy to convert.

Aside from all the pro/con arguments both ways, I prefer the more "positive" locking connection an XLR makes

crazyeddy

...  I prefer the more "positive" locking connection an XLR makes

There are locking RCA connectors, although they don't snap into place as an XLR does.

I hear you both on the locking portion of XLR connectors. I had some rca interconnects that were loose fitting. Although they didn’t’t come out I would question the build quality of the interconnect. Of course I could’ve just returned it, but felt as long as it doesn’t come loose I was willing to take that chance and live with it. Its all good and no problems even now.

2007audioman

As several people have commented, if components have fully balanced connections, the balanced XLR connection does present an improvement over single-ended connections. I connect my fully balanced PS Audio DirectStream DAC and Classe AMP2 using a Pangea balanced XLR. As much as I did not want to eliminate my Absolute Sound Class A preamp...the sound difference was just to much better by directly linking the balanced components.