Long run XLR cables

If a system is differentially balanced, then expensive XLR interconnects should not sound differently from Mogami or Gotham Cable or Canare XLR interconnects.

If components are not differentially balanced, or transformer coupled, then all bets are off.

I use 25-foot and 15-foot Benchmark XLR cables between my preamps and amps. If they did not sound good, I would blame in on the gear since I know those cheap cables are fine between a preamp and amp. Meaning more expensive consumer XLR cables between preamp and amp did nothing better for me.

My gear in this case is CODA, Benchmark, and Holo Audio.

Thanks for all the good info! As far as differentially balanced equipment I'm not sure. I'll have to do some poking around and check my documentation. I'm working with a Lexicon MC-10 pre/pro and a 90's vintage Mac MC7200. As far as my experience with what I have now I thought the SVS soundpath cables were as step back from the Mogamis which were too short for my new routing. Adding a pair of new Rel subs so I bought them for those and thought I'd try them on the mains. No go! A lot of praise for the Mogamis so I might go with a longer pair Of those (maybe the platinums) for an upgrade if I can find them in the right length.

On a side note, I I play quite a bit of vinyl in two channel with the screen out of the way but the system is doing double duty as a multi channel system and the amp for that is all connected with XLR so I feel inclined to not use single ended for the mains for that reason. Both amps are supposedly fully balanced AB amps but I'm not that clear on the topography.

Typically the quality of the interconnects is more important than whether XLR or single ended, provided your components don’t strongly favor (sound better) one connection type. It can be cost effective to use RCA.

Mogami are widely regarded as performing equally for the money with other audio cables. So, if we are talking about a $100 pair then they would (in general) compete with similar audio cables. This is important because in high end audio these are very budget oriented interconnects. Certainly appropriate on many systems… but are unlikely to raise performance much. 

When putting together a system I do not start thinking about “high performance” interconnects until components are over a couple grand.