Listen to rhinocom:
I started out with Monoprice interconnects. My system sounded fine or so I thought. I was a newbie to the concept of cables and power cords and power conditions making a difference. But I took a leap of faith and Invested some money in, initially Shunyata cables, power cords and power conditioners/strips. What I can tell you is that you don’t know what you are missing in your system’s potential until you switch out those monoprice cables for better ones. I suggest biting the bullet and go beyond your price parameters if you can. Your system will grow into your better ones. If you don’t go to the likes of Shunyata, Cardas and upper end Audioquest yet (but I recommend that you do. You will hear a difference) you can try bluejeans or Surf Cable or others. Everything makes a difference. But while you are changing out interconnects, I suggest you also make upgrades on the power end. Get an AQ 1000 or a Shnuyata PS8 with Defender. Get some good AQ or Shunyata power cables. You will like what you hear and what you don’t hear.
I'm not endorsing Shunyata (although I have some) or AQ (although I tried some) but rather the part about the importance of trying and listening:
What I can tell you is that you don’t know what you are missing in your system’s potential until you switch out those monoprice cables for better ones. I suggest biting the bullet and go beyond your price parameters if you can. Your system will grow into your better ones.
Just keep reading and re-reading that until it sinks in. Because its really important. Especially when you try expensive cables that do nothing. Or even make things worse. Don't draw conclusions from that. Because frankly most of what's out there is overpriced crap. So you have to keep that in mind. More important though is you have to keep focused on the reality that the really good stuff is so good, so unbelievably impossibly good, that it will indeed improve your system even more than the same amount of money spent on anything else.