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Next upgrade: cables. But which ones first?

Please help with guidance regarding cable upgrade. I’m a total cable novice. So far I’ve focused on upgrading components and I think the next move should be cables. But where to start?

I have B&W 804S speakers, McIntosh MC275 amp, Lamm LL2D pre, Rotel RCD1072 cd player, a Squeezebox Touch, and I plan on getting a DAC in about a year. I have two 10 AWG dedicated power lines with hospital grade outlets, and the system makes no hiss, no hum. All power cords are stock (none shielded), speaker cables are magnet wire (DIY anti cables), and ICs are Nordost cheapest RCAs.

I’m trying to decide whether to upgrade speaker cables first, or power cords first. While ICs are still cheap, I guess they are a small step above the speaker and power cords. I also realize this is yet another form of source first vs. speakers first debate. Yet I need to decide what would make a larger sonic impact for about $1000. I could buy used in the US or DIY, but I’m overseas so getting a bunch of cables and trying is not an option.

Thank you!
lewinskih01
hotmailjbc
571 posts
 
my take on this is to think long range and determine what you want to spend and achieve. all the cables are important and you want to achieve synergy with the system so a mix and match and some here and some there haphazard approach can cost a lot of money. i have never bought any ultra expensive products but have used some moderately priced wireworld and kimber. i now use morrow cables for my ics and spks and ps audio for power. i like to look for bargains and think you can find some real performance enhancing cables without spending a lot of money by looking for sale prices or demos. most people say speakers first which i did with good results. but i do ascribe to the weakest link effects the entire system. good luck and enjoy the search. there are a thousand reviews out there.
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kennyb
117 posts
 
Power cords should come first. They serve as the foundation.

Some good advice here: http://nordost.com/downloads/Foundation%20Theory.pdf
ghstudio
141 posts
 
Please be sure that you hear a difference (that you like) upgrading your cables before you spend lots of money. There is much disagreement about the (practical) value of expensive cables...in fact I know many running expensive systems using stock wire and cables because they can't hear the difference. Don't just buy into the hype unless you can hear the difference.....
lewinskih01 OP
907 posts
 
Point taken: I'm not after trophy names - just better sound. So I'm not really thinking expensive...eg: 3 PCs for $1000.
The Nordost guide was a good read. Seems PCs would be a good starting point.

I guess the next question would be: buy a used PC for about $350, or DIY for the same amount?
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,142 posts
 
DIY represents a very good value for power cords. You can customize them to your needs and they are very easy to construct. Dollars spent equate to 3x to 5x equivalent retail value. The only downside is unproven resale value. If you go the DIY route you also might consider upgrading or even eliminating the IEC inlets on your equipment.

I'm not sure I agree with power cords being the bedrock of a system. Their effect is very variable and totally system dependent. It's also my experience that you have to have the rest of your system in order before you can hear the effects of power cords upgrade. It's a chicken and egg problem.
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