Can Highend IC improve equipment downstream??


An audiophile friend made the following argument to me:

"Stop looking for a new CD player. With a very good to excellent high-end interconnect you will not only improve the performance of the CD, but other downstream components."

I had to disagree with my friend claiming a $400 or $500 IC is not going to first, magically transform the playback sound quality of a $1000.00 CD player, or secondly, also improve the sound quality of downstream components. Improvements might be just marginal or moderate.

It strikes me that every level of CD player is designed with a set performance goal accomplished by the quality of its parts and construction. There is limit to what it can do. Obviously, a $50 IC will not bring it to peak performance like a $350 to $500 cable. And, there may even be ICs in the $250 range that may get a player close to that goal Let us assume for this issue the components can ALSO be either separates or an integrated amp

Maybe, I am wrong and my friend is right. Nevertheless, I think my friend's argument is based more on selling me on the idea than qualifying his point.

I recall seeing in a recent thread about speaker cable recommendations where a member advised the poster to.... "change speakers first before going out and dropping a $1000 plus on new speaker cables" Obviously, the member felt that speakers of the poster were the weak link in the audio chain, not the cable on electronics.

Would like to hear pros and cons on this issue. Jim
sunnyjim
I'll come clean, I've paid a little more for speaker cables than for the speakers attached to them. That being said, most of that is because I got a HELL of a deal on the speakers (90% off list price). I've never used speaker cables with a list price more than my speakers, though some have come close. I do know some who have spent considerably more (over triple) on speaker cables than on speakers, and who swear by the results. It takes all sorts I suppose.
I suspect one can do better in the long run by cryoing existing cables and breaking them in on a cable cooker than by replacing them. No matter how much you have in the end you would have had even more if you had started off with more.
I've had some improvements with cable upgrades, but nothing like source component and speaker upgrades. IMO a point of diminishing returns on cable upgrades is reached rather quickly. So much snake oil out there, and expensive to boot.
Elizabeth is right. I almost went the Nordost Odin full loom route. I got a nice Mercedes instead, and have plenty left over.
I have a decent set up.
I accepted the reasoning that sourcing all interconnecting wires from the same "house" was a good idea.

I also reasoned that cheap throw away cables had no place in systems from mid fi on up.

Then I made some very unconventional interconnects of my own,using one run of solid core copper and one of sold silver,terminated in low fi RCA.

I never expected them to work let alone sound any good.

I expected either a lot of hum or no sound at all.
There is no shielding, no twisting wires for noise cancelations, no fancy coverings of space age materials,the wires have no coating, they are naked,with only a cotton wrap for covering.
They do not pick up any outside RFI,EMI and they are not affected with noise from nearby components and power supplies.
There is no difference in volume or tone from one channel to the other,they seem to be a perfectly matched pair, at least they do with my test gear-my ears.

Yet sound better than any of my other name brand and costly interconnects they do.

In fact their complete lack of noise is perhaps their most compelling trait.
Clarity has always been something I've strived for.
These are the most clear cables I've yet tried.
Very fast,top to bottom in frequency range, fatigue free,and no time delay, smearing that I am aware of.

These cables cost me next to nothing, they were an experiment,based on spare wire and connectors I had and ideas I've been kicking around.

They are not for sale, this isn't a plug.

It's just a tip for others to try DIY before you spend the big bucks .