Thanks again for all the responses. To answer some of the questions asked of me:
- Budget is flex. But I value performance over cable 'jewelry'.
- My longest run is 17' to the left speaker. It's only a 5' run to the right speaker. From what I've read it I really don't need to make my SCs the same length unless I care about resale value, which I don't.
- I'm running the cables down under my LR floor and will place them is hard plastic split loom or conduit and then bring them back up directly behind each speaker.
- I don't yet have any ICs. This is a new system so I need all new cables including PCs assuming that is worth the cost. I am installing a dedicated 20a circuit for the amp.
As for sound preferences I'm seeking, I can't really say. I really don't want any coloration of sound from my cables nor does the science of it suggest this is really even possible. Opinions vary I realize. But for overall sound the Pass amp is one of the closest SS amps that gives a 'tube like' sound, so perhaps a bit on the warmer side. My DAC is generally accepted to be neutral and transparent which is one of the reasons I settled on it. Not sure if that helps.
My comment about starting with Canare 4S11 and then having doubts came from reading many posts on Audiogon, not just the posts in this thread. But I think my updated plan will be to get Canare and use that as my inexpensive baseline before auditioning 'high end' cables based on some of the suggestions here. That way I can validate whether I notice enough of an improvement over the Canare to merit the cost. Thanks again for all the comments.