interconnect suggests under 300 used.

In my experience there is no such thing as uncolored. I have never heard an amp, preamp, CD player, cable or other component which didn't lend at least a subtle sonic signature to the overall sound of the system it was in.

An often overlooked component in ANY system which is most certainly always colored to some degree or another is the room.

Of course there are components and cables which want to be closer to neutral than others but ultimately they too have an audible sonic signature - which can vary tremendously between different system configurations.

To me, music IS a coloration - it has body, weight, bloom, transparency, liquidity, texture, timbre, air... and what would music sound like if it were simply neutral? Seems boring... doesn't it? Music is comprised of so many opposites its difficult for any system to excel at both. Music is made of color and its the duty of a good system to faithfully reproduce music in all its glory.

What cables do quite effectively is balance a system with the environment to produce a sound which the listener can determine (based upon his/her preference & experience) as being more like REAL music.

It is much easier to balance a system with cables than it is to balance with excessive room treatment or various system components...it is ridiculous to expect that anyone's system is perfect. No two components make a perfect match in every case and it is less likely that any complete system is in-fact, perfect. Even in cases where someone uses components from one manufacturer they remain subject to what the manufacturer deems as the "correct" sound...which is never truly "neutral". Anyone in this hobby could tell you that every component manufacturer has their own idea of what music should sound like, hence their sonic signature - which is never truly neutral and in most cases never like REAL music on their own.

It takes the right seasoning to make any component sound its best.

Here is another question to ponder; what would food taste like if it was neutral? Yuck! We all like flavor don't we? But.. we all have different tastes.

I think its important that Electrostaticman understand the possibilities that await him and that he not limit himself to the solutions that worked for us. Of course we can provide guidance but none of us have his ears.

Electrostaticman, its my suggestion that you select one of the above mentioned cables and start your journey there. A world of possibilities await you. If your first cable doesn't suit you, sell it and try another. Every cable you experience will deliver a new vision into your system. It can be a difficult process but the end results are very rewarding.

Tube rolling is super effective but can be just as frustrating as changing cables, components or room variables. The trouble with tubes is - the tubes!! Good NOS tubes and the right ones can be hard to find, and sometimes are noisy (which adds an entirely new and unpleasant dimension to a system). For example - at our levels we may have spent loads of cash on power conditioning equipment in order to silence our systems - only to have noisy tubes - which can counteract results obtained by conditioning efforts. Shesh! Where does it end? :) I am getting a feeling it doesn't.

Really, there is no substitute for what the right set of NOS tubes can do for a system. But new tubes tend to be quieter and hence maintain that black background we all know and love.

It sounds like Sugarbrie has found his preferred flavor and now wants to ensure his cables don't mess things up.

This is a case of being soooooo close to where you want to be except... you aren't quite there. Building a system can be like playing Black Jack. You may have a 20 in your hand - do you hit and hope for an Ace? If you do, odds are you'll bust. At some point, we all must realize that this is as good as it can get without going over the top.

Good suggestions Ivanj. I usually like to work the other way around. A delicate sounding IC for between the CD and preamp - I find it better preserves the low level signal - followed by a more robust cable between the preamp and amp.

In my cable auditions I found that the second cable (between preamp and amp) was more difficult to finalize because the robust cables tend to have a richer sonic signature.

What three cables? Considering you have ML gear, I would work toward something like Nordost Quattro Fil between CD and Preamp and Cardas Golden Reference between Pre and Amp. That might sound nice. However on your budget... you might look at something like Audioquest Lapis or Nordost Red Dawn followed by Cardas Neutral or something from Tara Labs.

Electrostaticman - it will most certainly help. I have NO doubt. The right interconnects (and power cords) bring about an amazing improvement in any system.

In fact, I have been hesitant to state this in "public" but cables can make more of a difference than any other component. I know its may seem strange strange but...its true. The old adage, "10% of your system price should be spent on cables..." is BS! Spend more!