The XLR connector is a type of electrical connector primarily used in professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. XLR connectors are cylindrical in design, The XLR connector is superficially similar to the smaller DIN connector, with which it is physically incompatible.

XLR connectors are available in male and female.Where XLR connectors are used for DC power, the genders are reversed with respect to their standard use for line-level and mic-level audio. Typically, audio signals on XLR connectors “follow the pin,” such that a male connector is an output and a female connector is an input. In most power applications (not just XLR connectors) the female connector is the output and the male connector is the input. This makes accidental contact with live parts less likely. In audio devices it also prevents accidental application of DC power to signal inputs.