[peterinvan]

My choice: 4.4mm balanced.

Why? Because I now use portable devices and a dongle DAC/AMP that have 4.4mm balanced outputs. Fiio M11Pro, and Cayin RU6.

I mostly use Meze "silver" balanced cables, and even bought a 4.4mm cable for my Audeze LCD-XC to use these sources.

When I used desktop amps I used 1/4" and 4-pin XLR.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Which do you all prefer and why?

XLR for the reasons mentioned already in this thread.

XLR is a professional connector and it locks. Not all gear supports the locking feature but all pro gear does. It's been around since the 1950s. It works, it lasts, there is positive lockup even without the locking feature.

I wouldn't touch 3,5mm or 4,4mm plugs with a thousand foot pole. If you have a DAP you might not have any choice, but for any other application I don't see a reason.