As others have mentioned, it's system dependent.
With that said I'm going to answer your specific question and not get into other areas that you didn't ask about but others alluded to.
Power cords, interconnects and speaker cables in my opinion carry a signal or current of some type and can be used to tune your system (sound wise) to your liking. I find all three equally important.
If pressed to rank them in order, I'd agree with others that said:
1) Power cords
2) Interconnects
3) Speaker cables
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My own experience and I believe the audio mags support power cord first then interconnect, then speaker cable. |
if you are tempted to spend more than $200 on all cables combined (for a normal sized home) then just hit yourself in the head with a hammer Are you applying that to budget systems or any system? |
My prescription has been IC, SC, and then PC. YRMV. |
Hi falconquest,
I also agree that power cords make the most sonic difference, with or without a power conditioner. For the record, I use a SR Powercell 10UEF/FEQ and the power cord between it and the wall makes the most difference IME. Digital sources would be next.
Dave
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the position in the chain is unimportant
what matters is whether the thing behind the cable can be affected by a cable with complex impedance, the current and voltage level of the signal, etc.
all of those point to speaker cables (kudos to the wag who pointed out that speaker placement was more important than any of the 3 choices)
speaker cables can especially affect the sound of certain speakers
Here is what to do re all cabling (and if you do not understand electronics or science, then it is my special magical secret advice):
rund digital as far as possible, then run balanced as far as possible, then use monoblock amps set as close to the speaker as possible and do not worry about the brand of the wire
speaker cables should be short and fairly thick (usually 16 AWG); use gold-plated interconnects and coat all connections with Caig products
make and break the connections every couple of years and if you are tempted to spend more than $200 on all cables combined (for a normal sized home) then just hit yourself in the head with a hammer |
I’m surprised by the number of responses that place power cords first. Let’s further define that by asking with our without power conditioning of some type?
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Equally important. You cannot get any sound unless you have connected power and speakers and source to amp. |
OP, Lots of good feedback here, based on my experience and feedback from cable manufacturers,
1) Power cords
2) Speaker Cables
3) IC's |
IMO. Speaker cable followed by power cable, interconnects. Your results may vary. |
Yes, it much depends upon the particular system, but in my system(s) I have consistently heard what several others have:
1) Power Cords + conditioners make the greatest difference.
2) Speaker Cables next (by a fair bit).
3) Interconnects last (but not by that much).
I think that there is a case to be made for "mixing and matching" different brands to balance out at the right sound for you, just like one might in tube rolling an amp. That said, I have virtually all one brand in my system currently... Different systems call for different solutions. |
Me personally have found power cords will make the biggest improvement (they are the foundation for your entire system) followed by speaker cables and last interconnects. A lot will depend on the level of your system and what level of cables you're looking at.
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Just as with everything else in this hobby, you will find no consensus answer to this question. There are many variables, such as system synergy and personal tastes.
That said, personally I have found them to generally work in this priority:
1) Power cords
2) Interconnects
3) Speaker cables
Obviously, YMMV.
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Like your entire system, it's a chain. Changing any one thing will change the system. So you might hear the most difference with any one of these depending on your system.
While speakers (most people think) will change your sound the most, I have always felt that the preamp is the heart of the system. Everything goes through it and if it has faults, they will be passed on to the speakers no matter how good they are.
So, if everything in your system is equal (and this is seldom the case), power cords and power conditioners could make the biggest difference as long as they are of equal to or of higher performance as the rest of the system. Then I would upgrade the speaker cables, so that I know the best signal from my amp is getting to the speakers. And finally, I would upgrade the interconnects to make sure all my source components are sending the best they can through the system.
Some people have good luck with mix and match, but my best results have come from using all of one brand of cables in my system (YMMV).
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It really depends on the system. But in general, power cords and conditioners make the biggest difference. Then speaker cables and lastly interconnects. But again it depends on the system. I have found mixing brands of speaker cables and interconnects can deter the performance of both. Synergy is the most important thing. There is no perfect or best cable for everyone.
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IME power cables made the most difference
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I tried using Harmonic Technology Pro-9 speaker cables on an Almarro tube integrated (20 wpc). The sound was thick, slow and no treble. I changed to some Nordost Blue Heaven I had on hand and the sound was transformed! Literally night-and-day. Interconnects are designed for a (relatively) stable environment (line-level voltage).
Power cords? I've never had an "ah ha!" moment. All-in-all I'd go with speaker wire makes the biggest difference (note: The Harmonic Technology is wonderful with high-power SS amps).
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Since interconnects are the earliest in the chain they should make the most difference but it is really system dependent and also cable dependent
Alan |
My experience has been that, the speaker cable upgrade made the biggest difference. |
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