I say it really doesn't matter.
I come from a background where I basically flew everything with wings on it before I climbed into the first Turboprop.
Over the years I have seen really bad pilots with a lot of 'quality time' (btw flying a single engine Cessna in the Outback is as much quality time as "flying" a jumbo for 14h in a straight line)who showed below average performance and cadet pilot who where extremely switched on.
It depends on the individual. How involved and prepared is that person?
I don't think you can categorically say one thing is bad the other is good. Its just isn't. I don't understand why people always have this black and white thinking mentality.
There are airlines where the mentality is that if you haven't been a cadet with that particular airline you must be a dangerous pilot as you didn't go through their training school. This airline although is very proud of their pilots training, not like in CX. But maybe its also because CX cadet training only is 12 vs 24 months long.