$20 XLR cables that sound good

I'll surely be ridiculed for this, but I'm achieving excellent results with lowly pro audio microphone cables called Planet Waves Custom Series. They easily bested my old single-ended cables and provide clear sound with no noise that I can discern. Their mechanical construction is first-rate, too. All for about $20 each.

If your system is on a budget, or if you simply want to try a low-buck XLR cable on a lark, give these a try.