High Quality XLR IC's For My System

There’s a pair of AZ Silver Ref ll and Silver Ref l 1m XLR interconnects available here now, and you could get both for $1050.  These are very neutral yet organic and holographic interconnects and tough to see you being disappointed.  AZ market is very liquid so you can sell them easily if they don’t work out, so I’d strongly consider jumping on them.   

What sound improvements are you looking to achieve with the new interconnects?  Also, I don’t see AQ Californias listed anywhere — are they an older model?

If I could get better transparency from my cables without the brightness associated with some, that is my goal. Additional bass response would be a welcome byproduct as well.

I’d highly recommend used Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II (but the Ref I is very close and also a great option). I find them to be very transparent and nicely detailed so things like air and space are fully present, but the detail is natural sounding and balanced nicely with the rest of the frequency spectrum. For silver wires the Silver Refs have very good tonality and full bass but the bass is also tight so kinda the best of both worlds, and imaging/soundstage is superb. There’s a 1.5m pair on USAudioMart now for $550, so two 1m pairs should come in at or below your price target. Anyway, best of luck in finalizing the upgrade process.