Interconnect recomendations, ~$500 new or used, RCA...

In that price range look for used Auditorium23 cables a fantastic sounding copper cable. I use a pair between my preamp and amp.

I’ve test driven a very lengthy list of contenders and pretenders over the years in your price strata , I have them in my B and C systems although I have an all NORDOST FREY cables array in my A system.

My take

(1) without prejudice to any other comments herein, what brand or model cable works best in YOUR system is entirely system dependent... full stop. There is no “best” one size fits all. Random suggestions floated herein are just pushing their heavily biased anecdotal personal faves with no assurance that they will work in your system.

(2) Price alone is no measure of the audio performance success in your bespoke system. But do shop for used instead of new if possible .

(3) I could list many I’ve auditioned but that blind laundry list won’t help you get down the Yellow Brick Road to audio OZ because of the points above. There is no substitute for actually auditioning some ... it’s a journey and never a fast fix destination in this wacky hobby.

listing your system components MIGHT help in soliciting a few credible options to start with, if provided from those who actually have your components .

Of course there's no "absolute" best. I'm not even asking for "best," just recommendations. There are way too many choices, yet certain ones will float to the top time and time again across many systems. And if "odd man out" cables get multiple votes, they will be considered as well. Audtioning is de rigueur, so is narrowing the field. Give people some credit: we don't always need to "taught a lesson."

Specifying my equipment is pointless because nobody else has my ears and my sensibility.

Check out the discount section over at darwincables.com.