Is it extra gain or two matched cables or both that improve the sound ?

When I route the signal from phono to deck and then to integrated I get overall better fuller sound than when doing it normally from phono to integrated.
System: Nottingham Spacedeck/Spacearm/Goldring 1042 cartridge; Acoustech phono, Nakamichi 682ZX deck, Redgum 120 RGi integrated; Michael Green Revolution 80i speakers. Cables - Purist Audio; Colossus ferox from phono, Maximus ferox from deck, Colossus fluid to speakers.
I tried it all three ways - from phono to integrated with Colossus, from phono to integrated with Maximus, and from phono to deck with Colossus plus from deck to integrated with Maximus.
When I run it thru deck I do lose some resolution, especially in high frequences, compared to running directly with Colossus, but I gain more weight and better balance in sound. Now, Colossus is silver or almost entirely silver cable, Maximus is a mostly copper alloy.
The deck's output is set at or near max, I use input recording level as a volume control. Amp's volume control is set at 9, and I don't usually touch it - no need.
Grado has 6.5 mv output, Acoustech's gain is set at 46db, I think. No idea of the Redgum's preamp gain setting.
So, overall the best sound is achieved when running phono/Colossus/deck/Maximus chain. Second best - phono/Maximus. Third best - phono/Colossus.
It does appear that those excellent Purist cables compliment each other. I talked to Jim, Purist's designer, about the cables, and he said yeah, Colossus has higher resolution but Maximus gives richer sound.
But I think that may not be all, the deck does something too. And what if I don't have enough gain in the preamp section? I record to deck from time to time directly from phono with the Colossus, and the sound is superb for a cassette. Recorded with Colossus, played with Maximus.
What do you think?