Yes - overwhelming and fun - in the end, I did buy the parts for an experimental pair of balanced interconnects (3 metres of Mogami cable, Neutrik XLRs) all for about US$40… excited about this project.
Used to spend time wandering Akihabara with an friend who isn’t with us anymore, wasn’t quite the same, but was good to be back.
I was using a Goldpoint preamp (attenuator) into a First Watt J2. Run was 3’. I replaced bargain XLR with Mogami and it enlivened the the music perceptively. I think this only makes a difference where cable impedance can cause a roll off. Longish run, cheap cable, limited signal, no-gain preamp.