Sound quality impact - preamp vs power amp?

Curious, no comments about interconnecting cables. The quality of coaxial or balanced cables of good quality may make a diff? Just saw $11k speaker cables, seems remarkable.

great comments herein. Soo many really smart souls.
Tough keeping components within the same family, but may be of great value. My gear family is diverse. I think it will be fine. Need to learn more about impedance.

So a line stage preamp is the frosting and an amp is the cake, which can be layered in so many ways.  Both vitally important.  

Love audio research line stage but leaving 8 tubes on all the time when watching tv sucks.  Tube life is 3000 hrs so not meant for a ht system.

good news possibly, have heard new arc models are planned to keep tubes off when in bypass mode.  Hope it happens soon.

danvignau
like yur comment. I like separates.

maybe an integrated system where preamp is blended with the amp serves to achieve something of value in light of all the various components presumably matched a lot better.  So maybe this is a case why separates may not be a good idea.

The human equivalent of a dog chasing its tail.  No one wins.