interconnects vs speaker cables vs power cords - which make the biggest difference?


Like the subject line says, I am curious what others think in terms of whether interconnects, speaker cable or power cords make the biggest difference when it comes to noticeable sound improvements, or are they all equally important?  I am thinking of upgrading them all and am trying to decide how to allocate spending.  Thanks in advance.
ccandte
Like your entire system, it's a chain. Changing any one thing will change the system. So you might hear the most difference with any one of these depending on your system.
While speakers (most people think) will change your sound the most, I have always felt that the preamp is the heart of the system. Everything goes through it and if it has faults, they will be passed on to the speakers no matter how good they are.
So, if everything in your system is equal (and this is seldom the case), power cords and power conditioners could make the biggest difference as long as they are of equal to or of higher performance as the rest of the system. Then I would upgrade the speaker cables, so that I know the best signal from my amp is getting to the speakers. And finally, I would upgrade the interconnects to make sure all my source components are sending the best they can through the system.
Some people have good luck with mix and match, but my best results have come from using all of one brand of cables in my system (YMMV).
Just as with everything else in this hobby, you will find no consensus answer to this question. There are many variables, such as system synergy and personal tastes.

That said, personally I have found them to generally work in this priority:
1) Power cords
2) Interconnects
3) Speaker cables

Obviously, YMMV.
Me personally have found power cords will make the biggest improvement (they are the foundation for your entire system) followed by speaker cables and last interconnects. A lot will depend on the level of your system and what level of cables you're looking at.
Yes, it much depends upon the particular system, but in my system(s) I have consistently heard what several others have:

1)  Power Cords + conditioners make the greatest difference.
2)  Speaker Cables next (by a fair bit).
3)  Interconnects last (but not by that much).

I think that there is a case to be made for "mixing and matching" different brands to balance out at the right sound for you, just like one might in tube rolling an amp.  That said, I have virtually all one brand in my system currently...  Different systems call for different solutions.
IMO. Speaker cable followed by power cable, interconnects. Your results may vary.