Shorter speaker runs or shorter IC Runs...Which is the better set up and why?

XLRs when used in a truly balanced system are generally zero signal loss and low distortion, and some do sound better than others, but generally not by much (many decades of live sound work taught me this). So if balanced cables come in pairs, simply get what fits and yer done, and don't worry if one cable is too long as placement of your stuff can change. Shorter good speaker wires can save some bucks.

Missingtime...or "missing the point"...I was recording performers for a TV musician interview series a while back and noticed that better balanced cables sounded better, period. Using great headphones is an easy way to hear this, as simply live reinforced sound masks those benefits as they are relatively small. Understand? Good.