I think it depends on the gear. I found my preamp and amp on 2 systems are less dependent on the XLR. In both systems I use 15-foot and 25-foot Benchmark XLR. For my sources. I use Audience AU24 SE XLR and RCA. I can hear a difference there.
Interconnect priority
Theoretically, which interconnect should be most effective in increasing a systems fidelity?
DAC to PreAmp
or
PreAmp to Amp