XLR or RCA cables

This is what you need

Jensen PI2rx Iso Max input transformer. They cost $200 from Jensen. Your RCA cable from the pre goes into the box and an xlr cable out from the box into your amp. The xlr should be short for best fidelity. Short being under 32 inches. The unit is passive so It does not plug in. It is exactly what you need and works like a charm.

I found no loss of fidelity at all. In fact my system sounded better with it as my amp is fully balanced and sounded better using the xlr input and true balanced signal from the Jensen. Amazing little input transformer.

Jensen makes great stuff.

To get all advantages of Ayre, you should use balanced preamp. In your case balanced or unbalanced doesn't matter.

The Jensen will give you the full benefit of balanced and that is why it is so wonderful. Many balanced preamps have the same technology right inside the preamp that the Jensen offers in this passive box.

I am currently running 2 meter RCA interconnects with adapters at the amp but was wondering if running XLR cables with an adapter at the preamp would offer any improvement.

In principle, using an XLR cable with an adapter at the preamp is the better of the two approaches, in part because it would provide somewhat better rejection of hum and noise. It corresponds electrically to the configuration shown in Figure 2.1 of this Jensen paper.

In principle, using a Jensen transformer would be a much better approach, as suggested above and as described in the paper.

As a practical matter, and assuming that you do not presently have perceivable problems with hum or noise, whether or not either of those alternatives would provide an improvement in your particular setup is anyone's guess IMO.

Regards,
-- Al