How to get balanced inputs working

The audio horizon dac 3 has an input selector that is used to select between either 1) RCA INPUT or 2) XLR INPUT. This selector does not have anything to do with the output selection.

From your above post, the dac is connected to the transport using a RCA connection; therefore, the dac's INPUT selector must be set to RCA for any signal to be outputted in either RCA or XLR output.

Do you get any sound when your dac is switched to RCA INPUT mode? It is not clear that you have tried this.

Lots of music when knob is set to RCA,

Pavpet, that is exactly how the audio horizon dac is designed to work. You do not have a problem.

If you change the transport to dac connection from RCA to XLR, you simply change the input selection to XLR.

Ok will give it a try will pick up a balanced digital cable this morning that's it thanks brf , looking forward to it

The performance of a digital cable, balanced or unbalanced, will often be significantly dependent on the relation between its length and various unspecified variables, including the risetimes and falltimes of the digital output signal of the CDP or transport, among others.

More often than not, it would be desirable to avoid intermediate lengths such as 1 meter, and choose a length of about 1.5 meters (approximately 5 feet) or slightly longer, or, if practicable, a very short length (e.g., 8 or 10 inches or less).

See this paper.

Good luck!

-- Al