Best interconnect and Power Cord for Rega Apollo

Cables are said to be system dependent so I can only really tell you how they are in my system. I like both Audioquest (cheetah) and anti-cables for interconnects. I do notice significant differences with interconnects between my Apollo and Parasound preamp. As far as power cords I tried 4 different ones and didn't even remotely like any of them. They were Shunyata diamondback Platinum, Nordost Shiva, JPS Labs Digital AC and Harmonic Tech AC 11. I am not saying these are bad cords; they just were not good in my system. I don't know if any of this is helpful, but it is my experience.
David

So to answer your question, the Chord IC did sound better than the one that came with the product. "Fuller" sound with tighter bass and more defined highs. I think that after a certain base level of better IC, you wouldn't necessarily see a return on your dollar.

I the Apollo. Great CD player.

I use the Cobra (green color) ICs from Chord to run it to my Unico Secondo hybrid int. amp with great results.

I spent less than $100 on the IC. I wasn't able to hear any difference with supposedly high end demos, but if you want to spend a lot of money, you certainly have the opportunity.

I believe the US distributor for both Rega and Chord is the same, so perhaps there is some sonic karma there.

Opinion: All electronics require some burn-in time to reach their peak sound. Leaving things turned on between listening sessions helps as well. Set a CD on repeat-all play for 200+ hours (no volume necessary) and then compare with the out of the box sound you remember. I've found with a variety of equipment at all price points that 200-250+ hours is the minimum time I burn in everything.

For an affordable power cord that delivers great performance, try the Audience Powerchord "E" version. I've been using them for quite a few months after using many others over the years and am very happy with their performance. The "E" versions pop up less frequently on Audiogon but are worth the wait. The Cable Company also sells them both new and used at fair prices. (I'm not a dealer or affiliated with one).