All good questions. Let me comment only on question 4 only. Volumes have been written on this and at the risk of starting a polemical debate let me give you one view of it. If you already own all the interconnects you need and aren't experiencing noise or interference that can be traced to the pre-amp out wiring, I wouldn't waste the money on new cables. XLR are lower noise connectors useful for long runs but you will otherwise get no sonic benefit from them. On the other hand, if you don't own the cables and your amps have XLR in sockets, you will like the XLR connectors much better than the RCA and that might make them a better choice--if slightly more costly. Outlaw cables are excellent quality and a great value. XLRs snap into place and will not come out by accident. That's the only meaningful difference between the two cables--balanced versus unbalanced cables will not effect your audio performance. Let's face it, HT and audio buffs are always seeking that one more tweak that will bring them to audio Valhalla. Like the Emperor's New Clothes, most add little or nothing to the experience but people continue to believe they do. Balanced XLR has become of those... I will now run for cover...