Where is the weakest link?

Its a general question relating to cabling.

audphile1

Fascinating, you lean to doing interconnects as more important vs amp to speaker cable, which i thought would be the most important.

Thanks soix

No mention about speaker cable?

transparent for use as rca interconnects?

Optical rendu intriguing but another layer?

Focus i have is cables, i do have a cheap stereo tube preamp that i plan to insert, a schiit freya that i want to replace. I will run chord dac into a tube preamp eventually. Am testing the nad’s stereo playing expertise.  I dont like using a tube preamp in a home theatre system as no one has created a nice high end stereo tube fit that is convenient and is a true ht bypass.

great comments herein, thanks.

Heres system,

signal begins with a nucleus connected via usb carbon from audioquest to a chord tt2 dac, which connects via monster rca cable to a NAD M17 v2i processor, which connects to a mcintosh mc 255 via rca cable (sb balanced ?)..  

Am considering transparent super cables to connect to b&w 802 d3 mains and b&w htm2 d3 center.   

very appreciated, thanks

My sense is that interconnects need to be of quality but their role is greatly exaggerated.  Speaker cables are of more value.
The area between the router and the stereo preamp or the processor is a crazy mess of technological creativity; the good, the less than clear and insanely overpriced gear.  Connectivity issues are complex and frankly are a challenge to communicate and most seem to have a limited understanding.   Also the energy supply path between the wall outlet and the back panels of all the various components is also complex.

and we all attempt a best effort to address connecting the pathways from the wall and the router, and spend thousands to feel good about it.  Benefits at times are not really discernable. If i dont hear it maybe someone else will.  
I have seen so many pictures of systems and related equip lists.  So much variety.  So many brand names.  It can be fascinating as i begin to understand how all the pieces are fitting together.  I dont want to create an overly complex system.  So i try to be very prudent.  And have no idea when the buying will stop. It seems to go on and on and on. 
My not being married provides more freedom with my choices. Yeah.