The XLR Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain XLR connectors better than me. Hint: The XLR is the usual cable for microphones. Another hint: Many XLR cables have a male plug on one side, while the other side is a female jack; many TRS cables have male connectors on both ends. Read more about the analogy between connector gender and zoological anatomy.

The TRS Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain TRS connectors better than me. Hint: Larger guitar cables have this in common with the usually-smaller headphone cables. Another hint: While the black rings often tell you whether a given cable is mono (one black ring), stereo (two black rings), stereo + video (three rings), or stereo + power (three rings), the rings are merely insulation to separate the important metal contacts that actually do the dirty work. Just hope that the work a TRS connector cable does is not so dirty as it is crystal clear quality.