What is the most important cable in your system

Just this afternoon I upgraded the pc’s on my Preamp, DAC and streamer. Same cord on all 3 components (Virtual Dynamics David 2.0) listening to one of my reference tracks; Fink (Bloom Innocent -acoustic) dare I say I can hear deeper into the soundstage?? It’s a little freaky!

Interconnects, Speaker, then everything else.

I was thinking about my system and the changes I described and I now realize I forgot to include another change that happened at the same time that I completely discounted that could have been part of the improvement I realized…

When I took out the Firebird HC from my amp and put in the Dragon HC, I then, at the same time, replaced a Hurricane I had on my streamer with that Firebird HC that was on my amp.   I’d always been told that the power cables to components that were 100% digital didn’t matter that much.  

However, now in hindsight, I realize and have to admit, that some of the improvement I gained may not just have been from the introduction of the Dragon HC but also the removal of the Hurricane.  I may do a ‘control’ test and put back in the Hurricane on my streamer and see if my gains go away but I’m loving the sound so much right now, that curiosity isn’t greater than my current enjoyment.

1) Power

2) Speaker

3) Interconnect

@favresj Thanks for sharing your Audioquest Firebird HC vs Dragon HC.  I would have guessed the difference would be slightly better.

Power, then interconnects have had the most overall impact on my system, with speaker cables being a close third. 

My Audio Magic Tubed Interconnect.

I upgraded all my cables and I am not sure I heard a difference because the only way I would be able to hear the difference would be to have a toggle switch to compare quickly.

Power is critical to all that follows.

I have a system that has evolved quite a bit over past 7 years with a variety of amps and speakers, in and out of the system.  My dac, streamer, server and power distribution have all stayed the same.  

And while I’ve noticed subtle changes as I swapped out and upgraded all of my Ethernet, XLR and speaker cables, the biggest difference I have found has been power cables.  Most recently, upgrading from the Audioquest Firebird HC to a Dragon HC on my integrated amp has produced the most profound improvement I’ve ever experienced from a single change.  And that includes both cable and equipment changes.  It’s like a different amp.  

Must be synergy, but I never expected my system to improve in so many ways without any downsides…and I say this with equal conviction today as the day after I first introduced the Dragon HC to my system, and that was about a month ago.

As always, YMMV but I’m still stunned by the improvement.

XLR cables really shouldn't have a sound. 

I agree with the deooney. I have found that the most important cable is the one between the Amplifier and Preamplifier.

@tweak1 My neighbor has a high end/cost system with YG Sonya 2.3s, subs, Bekerely USB, Meridian Ultradac, etc.  He has high end ICs and speaker cable but was using Pangea power cables.  As an electrical engineer, he didn't believe power cables could make a difference.   His bass was terrible, frequency anomalies where a bass would play one not forward and the next up would be hidden, then in, then out.  Terrible.  

I lent him one older GroverHuffman Empress power cord for his amp and he heard the difference, a smoother frequency response in the bass.   He opted to purchase six GroverHuffman Pharoah power cords.   Now I can sit and listen to his system with pleasure as the sound is coherent, smooth/even frequency response.  He also tweaked his Audio Research SP28 preamp by replacing the 6H30 tubes with 6N6/6H6 tubes.  Sounds great now.  

@tweak1      Mad, yes.   Scientist, no.

Good question! Closest to the source then work backwards. I did this about 6 months ago, starting with some high priced WireWorld series 8 XLRs and speaker cables. I figured my power cord between 20 amp dedicated line and CorePower 1800 was plenty good (turns out not the case!). After reading several days of new posts to a AG thread titled Counterfeit Chinese Cables, I took the plunge buying just ONE coax cable to replace a Pangea Premier XE (MSRP was $169) with a Nordost Odin 2 knockoff. The downside 3+ weeks of high anticipation, however, it is amazing, so I then replaced the WW XLR between my Audio Alchemy DDP-1: Ditto, then Odin 2s replaced the WW speaker cables: Flabbergasted. I then upgraded all the PCs. First I tried Odin 2s but saw they also sold Odin 2 Gold- better still (YMMV), but I needed a heavier gauge for the wall to CorePower and CorePower to amp. Here a fellow ’phile directed me to Amazon for uber cheap PCs: Audiophile 10 AWG HiFi Power Cable 125V 15A Single Crystal Copper US AC Main Supply Cord Rhodium Plated NEMA 5-15P Plug IEC320-C15 C13 Connector for Speaker Subwoofer Turntable Amplifier 😍 He prefers the copper only. Regardless they blew away ~ 10 year old boutique PCs @ $500

I forgot to mention, I treated all new cables with MadScientist Graphene Cable Enhancer, so at the very least do that to what you have now

hth

What is the most important cable in your system

The loose one.

Get the best quality you can reasonably afford. Upgrade one at a time so it's not a financial burden. The same way you upgrade components. If you don't know where to start, then start with the type you need fewest of. Typically, that would be speaker cables.  Then maybe either CAT or interconnects. Then power or cables from linear power supplies. On the other hand if you shop by "deals" then by all means chase sales. We all have a plan until a sale or a deal or...   just be reasonable and enjoy the sound as well as the hobby. 

All of them, I do looms. 

@jpsreno   I don't agree, because some connections are more critical and some are more challenged, so gains can be made by concentrating quality there.  Only where all applications are of equal importance is there a case for according equal attention to all.

a lot of back and forth, here I am not a engineer but I do know that overall quality in any process is only as good as the weakest element. Goldratt in his Theory of Constraints called them bottlenecks or friction points. So with that as a guide and from a cost efficiency persective, shouldn’t all cables be of equal quality in a system. Obviously, in reality we may have varying quality of cables and to use what we have is a necessity for most, in that case end the chain with your best so as to capture as much as possible of what the front end pieces is sending. Pre to power

@clearthinker 

Yes, that was my thinking also: what is tiniest, most delicate signal? Even with a higher output MM cart, it is many times smaller than a typical preamp to amp signal.

@sandthemall 

I agree too, phono cart to phono amp.  Because the signal is so low level it needs all the help it can get transmitting the music truthfully and without external interference or noise.

With a parallel tracking arm I need to use silver litz wire into locking plugs and junction box.  I run my whole system balanced so I can use high quality XLR terminations and from the box to the phono amp. 

The power cable. Without it, nothing works.

Perhaps the primary power cable (Shunyata Alpha v2) that connects to my passive mains power block (Shunyata Denali v2) feeding the whole frontend of my kit from the city mains source. The interconnect cables from my preamp to mono block amplifiers might well be the most significant if it were not for the dual differential balanced topology of the Atma-Sphere gear on either end. Which renders the cable basically irrelevant beyond a decent Mogani studio grade XLR. 

Well, since I have a Bel Canto E1X integrated amp/dac/streamer, it's the power cable of course - Cardas Clear :>)

YEP. PREAMP TO AMP THEN FOR ME.POWER CORD TO PREAMP

The cable from the Turntable to the phono preamp.

@sandthemall I agree.

Just thinking out loud:

1. Ethernet 

2. power 

3. Speaker 

4. interconnect 

Power Cables but your AC Outlets at the Wall are even more important ! 

Quantum Science Audio Ultra Black-Red AC Outlets from Tweek Geek 

 https://www.tweekgeek.com/quantum-science-audio-ultra-black-red-ac-receptacle/

Lol, it's all subjective....some Here I think fool themselves into hearing a difference, when there is not. Some things in audio are mostly a big waste of money. Yea cables matter, to a point....

Between Dac and Pre. Generally speaking, I prioritize the source. Since you have both, try it both ways since you own both and hear for yourself.

The cable from the Turntable to the phono preamp.

@z32kerber 

+1

@z32kerber

+1

@audphile1 You nailed it. 

But then there’s a beotch called synergy. So best is to try and determine by ear. 

1. Speaker

2. Interconnects

3. Power

@Kota1

I have a dedicated spur and use a whole range of power cleaning equipment from Acoustic Revive, Akiko Audio, Furutech,Isotek et al. AddPowr was the latest addition. It made a major contribution in what I‘d like to describe of the flow of the music. Wverything is more organic and immediate.

The most important cable in MY system is the one that feed electricity to my home.

The only factual answer is the last cable you connect is the most important because without it your system won't work.

I can't really provide any useful advice other than if you have two sets, then put them in one way and listen for several weeks and then swap them around.  You'll either notice a difference or you won't.  If it doesn't make an obvious different then don't worry about it.  If you have to swap them back and forth to form a preference, then it must not make a significant difference.

I think the #1 reason to have an integrated amplifier is that it eliminates a set of cables!  I am fortunate to only have one digital connection and one analog connection in my system.

Cable on the amp usually will be the most important. But then there’s a beotch called synergy. So best is to try and determine by ear. 

Which one does the signal go through?  Both of them?  they are both important.

I guess if you have to make a choice, I guess we can make a generaization that errors installed by your cables (no cable can ever improve, it can just minimize degradation) will have longer to propogate earlier in the signal path so put your best cable first to inject as little error as possible early where it can just grow as it goes through the system.

Jerry

@antigrunge2 , interesting observation. I see we are both using add-powr products and they have a ethernet device that goes between your modem and your router. I also notice you use uptone audio. What are your thoughts about add-powr?

It is best to start from the end, just as speakers make the most difference of any component. For cables it’s speaker cables, then amp back to source. Don’t believe me, A/B Ethernet Cables versus Speaker Wires. They all make a difference. It’s only as good as what’s in front of it. Everyone’s system and preference of sound is different so in the end it’s what sounds best to you

Try each cable in both positions and choose the cable combination that sounds the best in your opinion.  

What is your system? It may not matter or mater a lot depending. If this is a DAC / Preamp question it would be likely to be there.. but with a processor involved it probably will not matter. Processors often do not have high enough resolution to matter. Also, what are the interconnects involved? 
 

I’d like to help, but need more information.

I’m using XLRs but I have one better than the other not that the other one is inferior , was just curious what people favor as the best position for optimal sound , we all know that garbage in gives you garbage out but what’s the most critical connection, between dac/ pre or pre/ amp 

In a good streaming system it’s the Ethernet cable between switch/filter and streamer. Btw, a lot of analogue cables benefit from the Schroeder method of doubling up. This particularly applies between Dac and preamp/amp.

I use to firmly believe it was the cables between my preamp and my amps were most critical. Then over years with more testing found the cables between source and preamp matter a lot too, more so. However, recently went back and started rotating in/out different digital SPDIF/Coax cables between my digital sources and my DAC, noting real differences  - more so than I previously recalled. 0s & 1s, right - no, there is more. By default, in my system the most important cable in my system starts at the source. Trickles down from there. I suspect opinions will vary just like different levels of quality sources do.  

Between the pre and the power