best way to go from balanced XLR - RCA (unbalanced) - anyone...?

+1 stringreen

+2    use the extra money to buy better RCA's

My vote is also for a good RCA cable as long as you're not going over 2M length. 

I find better sound using XLR balanced. But that’s just me..

But I'm going from DAC XLR to McIntosh preamp to mcintosh amp. All xlr 

There is no advantage to what you are doing.

There is advantage if he uses XLR cable and adapter with Jensen transformer.  It will have superior electrical noise suppression because of balanced signal, but also because wires are twisted (twisted pair).