Balanced ----- Unbalanced----

I didn't accuse you of trying to sell anything to the guy, but as manufacturer of balanced equipment you have a vested interest in promoting that format. Someone considering SE or balanced should be aware of that.

We're not talking about 150 foot mic cables, we're talking a few feet of wire. Your concerns about noise and phase shift do not apply.

I do agree that an XLR connector is a much better device than an RCA phono jack or 1/4 inch jack

If an XLR connector is better, Herman, how so?

The physical connection of the XLR is better. They lock together and the contact from pin to socket is better. There is a clear standard so you can use connectors from different manufacturer's and not worry if they mate well.

There is no real standard for RCA connectors so one manufacturer's male might not mate well with another's female and vice versa. That is why some SE manufacturer's tried to move away from the RCA's, like Naim did with their DIN connectors, but it never caught on as a standard.

No one can say that they are or are not necessary in your home environment

They are not necessary in the home enviroment.

The connectors are better but the topology is not.