Real experience - Balanced or Unbalanced between Luxman Pre & Power Amps

I spent some time thinking through my challenge this morning and am slightly spinning.  Here's where my head went.  

My original question was regarding connecting my pre and power amps for which I've received some great tips. The fun starts when I look at the rest of my system: my phono preamp allows both xlr and interconnect options to a preamp, i currently use the blue jeans xlr.  Should I also upgrade these whilst knowing my deck has interconnects feeding the phono preamp?  

Then onto my streamer and its dac, nordost heimdall usb to DAC and QED interconnect to my preamp. 

Whilst I cannot use xlr for every component, should I use where possible to get the extra gain and interconnect where needed but at minimum same brand and model for them all.  Hmmm.  

Anyone with a basic understanding of electricity will understand there is no difference with interconnects regardless of how they attach. Your hearing is normal and correct.

@roadcykler 

While I share your pessimism for cables making major differences, there are electrical properties from one cable to the next which can make a difference (like capacitance). With that said, almost NO manufacturer (besides BJC’s) will publish their specs so you have an idea of the differences so you avoid confirmation bias! 
 

I’m glad to hear some on hear say they have heard ‘no difference’ which gives me hope, but the profound differences some claim just have never existed for me regardless of the brand or non-science based explanations of why one cable is SO much different from another. 

It seems the experiment would be more instructive if using the same cable for balanced and non-balanced. Using the same cable length in each case, of course. If one’s equipment is capable of running balanced, there doesn’t seem to be any reason not to.