Cables & streamers

@xmbw4 you are correct but if you want to get down into the weeds, technically a little bit off. 

 your "XLR’s" turn into RCA’s by default because only 2 of the 3 conductors in the cable are being used. 

I know what you mean, but actually the XLRs are being used as single ended connectors, like most RCAs are. However, if the shell of the RCA is floating, RCAs can be used for balanced connections without a ground just like XLRs can be used that way. Maybe not common, but one example is a phono preamp with RCA inputs that are balanced. 

XLR’s don’t have gain

That is correct, but if your amp amp offers both XLR and RCA inputs, and the XLR are truly balanced,  the amp will have higher output using the XLR input. If you have higher output using the XLR connections, your system effectively has higher gain.

That said, the title of this thread is a bit misleading. the OP has a new integrated that has XLR connections and seems to be attributing all the changes to the cables. 

The OP is just gaslighting here. Nobody is that ignorant. He's just pretending that physics and the science of sound don't exist. Whole thread should be closed for intentionally lying and starting arguments. 

herman

... if your amp amp offers both XLR and RCA inputs, and the XLR are truly balanced, the amp will have higher output using the XLR input ...

That depends on the design of the balanced amplifier. Many differentially balanced amps do have 6 dB greater gain when run balanced.

If you have higher output using the XLR connections, your system effectively has higher gain.

Or, you could look at it as 6 dB better s/n at a given output. Whether that is a "feature" or not is a matter of some debate. It doesn't meet the AES48 standard, for example.

@cdtd you should give Tyr 2 interconnects a try at some point. Amazing cables. I also like Kimber Carbon and KS1116. I actually prefer KS1116 in my system over Tyr 2 but both are phenomenal.