Are Expensive Balanced Interconnects Necessary?

@cleeds Thanks for providing an example supporting ‘it depends’. 

I specifically purchased a Denafrips stack (Pontus II DAC, Hades Pre-Amp, and Thallo Amp), in part because they are true balanced devices throughout......in fact the Thallo amplifier only accepts XLR inputs.

I am running Morrow Audio MA4 XLR interconnects (right now have a deal for 45% off with code SAVE45)......that comes out to about $181 for a 1 meter pair. For the price certainly worth a look

That's not at all how a differentially balanced circuit works. A differentially balanced circuit uses both an inverting and non-inverting signal at its input, then amplifies the voltage difference between the two signals to produce the output.

Depending on the design of the balanced circuit, there can be substantial benefits to using it in balanced mode, rather than SE. For example, with ARC balanced preamps, you'll get 6 dB more level using it in balanced mode. That means 6 dB improved s/n.

Maybe when noise is zero… @cleeds ?

But the idea of CMRR is usually more than 6dB.
Let’s look at each side:

• (+) S + N
• (-) -S + N

(+) - (-) = S + N - (-S +N) == 2S 

Balanced cables quieter and more dynamic.

In my experience it depends.
For example, the Pass Labs preamps and amps sound better with XLRs. Also, using XLRs with these components diminishes the audible difference between cables. I have experienced the same with Audio Research LS and Ref series preamps, as well as ARC CD players. With my Benchmark DAC3 HGC in my system I prefer single ended to preamp. I run a 15ft long Mogami Studio Gold XLR between Pass XP-12 preamp and XA-30.8 amp that powers my Wilson Sabrina. I compared it to my 1m Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper and yes there’s a slight difference but the AZs aren’t necessarily better and the difference in this case isn’t drastic. 
Now I also had single ended Acoustic Zen interconnects and each step up the line brought a pretty significant improvement. There’s no substitute for trying though.