Which cable will reduce harshness of CD player?

Buckingham - I would recommend that, before you "neuter" the sound of your system with interconnects, you might try a different power cord on the unit.

Adding a Shunyata Black Mamba would be a good place to start and will instantly remove the digital hash that NO interconnect can remove without damaging or limiting the signal from your source.

Once the new Power Cord is in your system, you can better determine the best IC's - which may be the ones you already have.

Hi Buckingham - the Cardas Golden PC will most certainly warm things up for you. I never found it to be the ultimate PC for source components since it actually seems to perform better on amps, but at least this will make you a believer about the benefits of aftermarket power cords.

Digital front ends have a way of tossing a large amount of "hash" back into the sound pool. The hash is often perceived as brightness.

You can drive yourself insane by changing interconnects to remove this but the only real way to solve the problem is with a good power cord. Lower resolution ICs will remove or choke the brightness but can also place constraints on the precious signal which audiophiles work so hard to preserve - therefore I must recommend a decent power cord for your source. This will remove the nasties and help you make better IC decisions in the future. Once you feel you've found the right power cord, then you will want to look at your ICs.

Another source of brightness could be your room.

Buckingham, I am glad the Golden Cross power cord worked out for you. I don't understand why 5 or 6 feet of power cord makes such an important difference but once you hear it, there is no going back.

If you ever get a few bucks to "invest" you might try a Shunyata (not the sidewinder) power cord on your source and move the Cardas Golden to your amp. For your preamp, almost anything will work okay - so.. try an Absolute Power cord or something decent but not too expensive.

Also, it is a good idea to mix and match power cords - be careful about using too many PC's from one manufacturer.

Buckingham, Believe it or not a power cord can shift the sound more than a PS Audio. I know it sounds crazy - but it is true. In my house a PS Audio made NO difference whatsoever.

The Quadlink should be okay on your digital source. I have never listened to the Quadlink but suspect it will be okay. If you can get your hands on an Absolute PC, try it too. They cost 50 dollars and many audiophiles swear by them.

The only real way to know which cord is best for you and your system is to try as many as possible.