which produced the Cannon XL model of connector, and by 1955, the female connector featured synthetic-rubber insulation polychloroprene (neoprene), identified with the part-number prefix XLR. There was also the XLP series of connectors with hard plastic insulation, but the XLR model name is commonly used for all of the variants.

Originally, the ITT Cannon company manufactured XLR connectors in two locations: Kanagawa, Japan, and Melbourne, Australia. The Australian factory was sold to Alcatel Components