Should I upgrade DAC, speaker cables, ICs, or PCs?

Great feedback!

Actually, I'm surprised everybody went for the source as the first step. It's unusual to get an unanimous answer in this hobby. Maybe the question was too obvious, not to me anyway.

Sorry about the typo: the Rotel is a CD player indeed. Don't know why I typed preamp there...

While I haven't been able to try how cables impact the sound, I tend to believe they do. Unfortunately I live overseas in South America so borrowing from the Cable Co is not an option, and there aren't many hi-end cables around here to try, let alone borrowing for in-home audition. So I'm stuck with educated guessing. The best way 've found so far is digging threads here and contacting folks with systems as similar as possible to mine (albeit different tastes) and get their input as to what worked and why/how.

From that I was thinking using the Rotel as transport for the DAC3 (mentioned), or Benchmark (mentioned), or MHDT Havana, to name 3 that come to mind now. I like the idea of computer audio down the road, but as another source as opposed to replacing the CD transport.

For cables I am surprised to get the feedback of PCs first, but this is part of the learning I am after.
For speaker and ICs I had good comments about Kimber 8TC and another model up I can't recall now, Purist Audio, Transparent, or Nordost. I know of two people with B&W speakers who swear by Nordost Frey and Valkyrja speaker cable, but those are close to $1200 used and I have a hard time justifying that for my system.

What I'm taking away then is use $1500 for: a DAC and a digital IC for transport to DAC, and do the rest as funds come up. Example: a DAC3 is listed for $1295+shipping, leaving about $200 for the digital IC.
Later, when funds permit get PCs for the DAC and Rotel transport, and even later ICs and PCs for pre and amp, and finally the speaker cables.

Am I making sense?
Thank you for the very good feedback!

OK Mintzar, looks like you want to be asked: what are your suggestions for doing better than those components, for the money?

So I went back for some reading on the proposed units. A lot more reading still pending.

I decided to ditch the Zardoz and Mojo units. They are probably very good, but there is so little talk about these that is leading me to pass, as I'm overseas and auditioning or buying and selling is not a breeze.

Macdad: I decided to set the Havana aside based on your comments that it might become too much of a good thing with the rest of my system.

Seems like I'm down to: Bel Canto DAC3, Benchamark DAC1 USB, Bryston BDA-1, PS Audio PWD, Wyred4Sound DAC2, and Weiss DAC2 or Minerva.
I know, I know: several of these are beyond the $1500 I posted, even used...this frickn' addiction of mine!!! Maybe just get a Benchmark and good power cable and be done for a good while.

Quick question: my source will be my Rotel CD player over coaxial. Would any of these be a bad match?

Thank you!

Blindjim: Thanks for the thoughtful post. I'm adding the Lavry DA10 to the list. Looking at your system I see you also have a tubed pre and amp.

After going through several threads I'm wondering about jitter immunity. For over a year until I can get into either computer audio or upgrade my transport I will need to use my Rotel RCD1072 CD player through coax as source to the DAC. Does anyone have a point of view in terms of jitter immunity from Lavry, Benchmark, Bel Canto, Bryston, Weiss DAC2, or PS PWD?

Thank you!