Question: is aes the same as xlr?
Answer: Although the interconnect is the same. AES/EBU cable is 110 ohm balanced. XLR is typically 66-75ohm cable (isn't it?) BUT you could use a regular XLR as an AES/EBU cable (just like you could use a regular old RCA cable as a coax S/PDIF cable), just know it would be more susceptible to noise and interference.