Please clear up my confusion re: meaning of "balanced" !

@stuartk ,
PM or call Ralph Karsten (atmasphere).
In fact, if you search the Audiogon archives, you'll find many of his posts explaining the rational of the 'balanced topography'.
As you seem to have found, some equipment offers balanced input/outputs, but in order to achieve the AES 47 standard, the equipment must adhere to that standard. Otherwise, you might get unwanted interactions- like hum.
B

3 pin XLR connectors are considered balanced cables and connectors.

Not all devices with XLR plugs are balanced either in the input or circuitry.  That is, some amps have XLR inputs for convenience, but the (-) pin and GND pin are shorted together, so in fact you gain none of the long distance/noise cancelling benefits of a true XLR connection.

Then there are manufacturers who essentially create a new amp/preamp section for both the (+) and (-) sides.  This requires twice the parts.

I appreciate all the responses. Some went over my head. 

Thanks to millercarbon, in particular, for answering my question in a direct and non-technical manner. 

I am confused about this term. I’ve been told it can refer to either a type of topology or simply a type of connection.

Both.

Many components have XLR (balanced) connectors.

Many of those components have XLR connectors for convenience, but they are not balanced circuits.

Can you connect those two components? Absolutely.

The La Voce S3 Discrete DAC specs state "XLR balanced asymmetrical", which means it is not balanced. The XLR connectors are for convenience if connecting to a preamp or integrated amplifier with XLR inputs. The JOTUNHEIM specs state it is "inherently differentially" balanced. Regardless, you can connect them, you just won’t be taking advantage of better noise rejection provided by a differentially balanced DAC. Will you hear it? Maybe not. You know a differentially balanced DAC module can be added to the JOTUNHEIM, right?

Some balanced connections need shorting pin to operate properly without signal loss, my krell amp needs these to operate in single ended mode.