Why do most phono preamps lack XLR input even thought cartridges are naturally balanced?


Seems to me XLR input is the way to go for phono preamps.  Pros and cons for XLR vs RCA phono input?
dracule1
@luisma31 Make sure the turntable/tonearm ground is tied to pin 1 of the phono input XLRs.
Almost none. I ran unshielded tonearm cable in my home system for some years. You could crank up the volume and no hum or buzz from the cable, even if grasping it or moving it around. You do still have to ground the tone arm and it works best if that wiring travels with the signal wires. One advantage here is this allows for much lower capacitance in the cable.
@atmasphere  Wire to shield capacitance should play role only if either output or input circuit is ground referenced.  I thought it was the advantage of fully balanced, not ground referenced (floating) configuration.  There is still wire to wire capacitance (increased by twisting), but there is no wire to shield capacitance, making even less expensive cables to sound better.  I agree that shield does not improve much, since twisting wires makes them very immune to electromagnetic or capacitive pickup, but it should not cause buzzing.  What lusima31 described sounds like ground loop.  XLR cable shield is grounded at both ends, but shells shouldn't be, since it might create such loop.  I've read that in recording studios they often have problems with that and fix it by cutting shield at one end.

@kijanki note my cable is not "grounded" at either end, just looped into itself, hence the crazy capacitance
@atmasphere  thanks for your clarifications. I am using an Ayre P-5xe which has balanced phono inputs.  I was bothered that if one uses the rca inputs to customize resistor loading ( I do not) that the use of one resistor per channel might indicate it was not truly a balanced input. Your explanation of the differential connection clarifies that worry.I have wired my own balanced DIN to XLR phono cables (refusing to pay $600+ for something so simple). Of course pins 2 & 3 are signal, and pin 1 is shield on the xlr ends only. I have a drain wire to the center DIN pin as a drain  connecting to the P-5 ground. Is this correct? I have no hum.
@atmasphere I'll try to have not even a ground but direct balanced all the way from TT to pre