The answer is NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Balanced cables are used for common mode rejection.

A device that has a three wire audio connection such as XLR or TRS contains a circuit that accepts the signal (XLR typically) as

Pin 1 GND (sheild)

Pin 2 +

Pin 3 -

If the device doesn't have a balanced input, then using a 3 wire "balanced" connection wont do anything.

In fact, I have experienced instances where using TRS instead of TS connectors actually can cause problems, especially if someone gets "balanced" confused with "stereo"

Example, using a TRS cable on a stereo output (phone 3.5mm) and pluging it to a balanced input. In that case the Left signal will be trying to cancel the Right signal and the result would be hearing ONLY the stereo information that was from the source.  If this was a recorded music track it might sound like its down the hall, that's because your only hearing the Reverb that was recorded in Stereo.

I like D better, and the history of the proscenium on WIKI is very interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proscenium

BTW: Just posted to gearspace.com

https://gearspace.com/board/music-computers/1430267-universal-licensing-sytem-real-midi-2-0-a.html#post17056917

"High-quality equipment can be purchased for reasonable prices...People might argue that these expenses will add up"

I think the author of this article is on to something, but fails to mention the audio software (DAW) industry that is going berserk.

It is becoming a pay to play racket akin to online games.  The rabbit hole leads to the licensing branch of the software companies. 

Think of the departments at a company like Steinberg; One side of the office is making cool stuff and the other side is trying to collect revenue.  (Steinberg will completely change their licensing system next year)

The technology for licensing software of DAW's and Plugins seems to be outpacing the R&D of the actual product, to the point where a paid update for a software program boasts its licensing mechanism as the "New Feature". 

For the end-user (consumer) this is not only inconvenient, its also creatively stifling, not to mention expensive.

Incidentally, many creatives are turning to stand-alone "groove boxes" to escape the personal computer, the convoluted licensing systems may be one reason why.

The D.A.W. acronym will become synonymous with artistic entropy, if not already.  These companies need to get together and decide on some universal software licensing system. 

That's the REAL MIDI 2.0.

In order of nasty licensing systems, just to name a few (#1 is the nastiest):

#1 - Waves (Waves Central)

#2- Reason (Reason Companion)

#3- IK Multimedia (IK Product Manager)

#4- Steinberg (Steinberg Download Assistant)

#5- Native Instruments (Native Access)

#6- MPC Beats

#7- Ableton Live