I will just keep quiet then (of course after I say one more thing!!!)!! All I know is what I have audibly experienced in the past! If you want to quote specifications and data I can do that as well. After all, I have an engineering degree! In fact, by all specification accounts most solid state amps will outperform vacuum tube amps. I feel that (unless your speakers are inefficient and have varying impedances through their frequency response) most 'tube' amps are superior to solid state in terms of pleasurable sound quality! I come to this conclusion after auditioning various solid state and vacuum tube amps over the last 25 years. When I first started my journey in stereo I would (and did) quote specifications and data, and wound up buying solid state equipment against the recommendations of my dealer and my ears. I had just graduated from engineering school and all that was important was statistics! I now know better! What a true audiophile learns to do is to listen with their ears and not their mind (which is full of 'useless' specification and data). Facts and data are great for initial designing of equipment and structure, but for fine tuning one must use their heart and soul, not their head. Once your heart says 'THIS IS GREAT' then invite the head to the party so it can figure out why 'THIS IS GREAT' and apply to future experiences and pass this experience to future generations and try to statically explain why 'THIS IS GREAT'!
Anyhow, what do I know? I am just an old coot who wants great sound and a chance to pass down my experiences to others interested in this obsession! My experiences dictate that it is best to eliminate any unnecessary variables from any equation, especially if the cost and effort is minimal. Using the same type and length of cable would fall under this category! No since in tossing in one more unknown into an untried system unless substantial cost savings can be reaped. And yes, my ears have told me that in fact these cabling variables DO matter, although my head agrees with you.