XLR to RCA plugs or cable

I am not messing with you!  I can solder small stuff and have done many speaker wire terminations.I do model trains and the decoders inside them now with LED lighting and resistors takes a learning curve. I was just trying to point out that it is not for everyone, but manufacturers can do it!  I agree the less stuff the better and I especially dislike adapters.  I will run my ethernet straight through the wall vs using a cheap plate that installers love so much.   TAKE CARE!  KEN.

Both Cardas adapters are great. No sonic difference with the clear adapters. I have 2 sets in the system. RCA phono into XLR preamp and preamp out into RCA amp. I tried the cheap ones and they did alter the sound.

Do you mean Neutrik? 

I recently bought (and returned) the premium (~$200/pr) Cardas XLR-to-RCA adapters that I had hoped would perform the same function as the OP describes. Turns out the Cardas adapters are wired internally to join Pin 2 and Pin 3 together. The result for me was no sound whatsoever. In an XLR, the two signal conductors (Pin 2 and  Pin 3), when joined together, cancel the signal completely! Why Cardas does this is beyond me…

I have the Cardas that I am not using and a Benchmark RCA to XLR cable (reverse also available) from my Benchmark DAC3B to my RAAL VM-1a headphone amp. It sounds the same as my Audience AU24 SE XLR to XLR from the same DAC3B to my VM-1a amp. A pleasant surprise since the Benchmark cable cost very little.

The Cardas sounds OK too, but I feel that there are more connection points using the Cardas. While the Benchmark is just a single cable.