long interconnects - earthly price?

With a 16" run of IC, you should be looking for a cable that has low resistance and capacitance per foot (like microphone cable). One choice is Nordost flat cables (such as the Blue Heaven), which have very low capacitance, but a 16' run won't be cheap. Cardas cables are also low capacitance, but they are also on the expensive side.

There are several options you might consider, one of which is to build your own, using Belden cable (which typically has low capacitance). Here's the link to a general info sheet that describes the various applications for which different models of Belden cable are best suited:
http://bwcecom.belden.com/College/Techpprs/rhtheatp.htm

Hi, Albert:

Just a note to say that I'm the "other" Campbell -- Ben is a fellow "clansman" who lives in Scotland, whereas I live in Seattle.

Best regards,

Scott Campbell
"Sdcampbell"

No offense taken, Albert. I should also have commented in my post that it might make sense for Jj2468 to get balanced IC's. While a 16-foot run is not terribly long, balanced IC's offer the potential advantage of lower noise, particularly if they are used in a system with high levels of RFI or EMI.