It has been my experience that when dealing with long lengths (say 3m or more) that balanced is the way to go. If we are talking about a 1m or 1.5m length then you will probably not "hear" any difference between the xlr or rca versions unless your gear is subject to picking up hums via cables draped over each other, etc. Of course your measurements may vary. Sometimes we audiofools tend to be happier when we know we have done everything to maximize our return and using balanced cables gives us this "piece of mind" irregardless of whether we can distinguish any differences or not...
