I m a beginner. Please help

Some people above would like you to listen to only one kind of advice, Dave. Before you assume that everything you've been told here is true, I'd suggest you find out for yourself.

Dave: Whether things like power cords make a difference is a subject of controversy, to say the least. The "everything-matters-just-trust-your-ears" school is well-represented here on Audiogon, and among the better-known audio mags. But there's another school, the "there's-no-effect-without-a-cause-and-where's-the-cause?" camp, which holds that one's ears are easily fooled into believing differences exist even among demonstrably identical sounds. You need to consider both sides of this argument, so I suggest that get yourself a few issues of The Audio Critic, just to round out your education. (I'll come back with details on a few worthwhile back issues in a day or two.)

Beyond that, here's my basic advice. The three most important factors in how well your system reproduces music are the recordings you listen to, your speakers, and your listening room. Sufficient amplifier power is also critical. Everything else is trivial by comparison, unless you intentionally seek out equipment with a particular "voice," which many people on Audiogon do (and which is a perfectly legitimate way to pursue this hobby, though it's not a fancy I share.) You have to decide what your priorities are, and listen and buy accordingly. Enjoy.

Dave: Since a few posters are pushing Harley's book, let me push the antidote. Call or write The Audio Critic (PO Box 978, Quakertown PA 18951; 215-538-9555) and order back issues #16 and 20. #16 has an article called "Basic Issues of Equipment Reviewing and Critical Listening" along with a technical analysis of the real sonic effects of speaker cables. #20 features a piece called "The Tweaks vs. the Pros," which gets to the root of the disparate advice you've gotten above. Either #24 or #25 has a similar summary article, but I don't remember which and I've loaned my copies out. Anyway, 4 issues will cost you $24, and it'll at least give you the other side of the argument, if you believe there's a legitimate argument here.