Choosing new cables

@steakster 

From the 27 review done in Aug 2017   

• Use the power cord with the truest timbre at your source. It’s impossible to correct timbre after this point.

Amen 

@bobheinatz I love the 866 too.  Really happy with it on all counts.  The Takumi is still breaking in, but most prominent to me so far is increased detail and musicality.  To my ear, there is a better sense of flow without loss of precision with regard to leading edge transients and decay.  Like you, I've had tube gear before, but I felt like the bloom (which I liked) obscured the detail, which didn't work for me.  Here, I don't feel I'm sacrificing anything...well, except $$. 

After my above post, I recalled using the following website as a primer (if you will) for making cable selections for auditioning purposes:  Audio Bacon 

Obviously, like all reviews, the outcome is subject to the reviewer's ancillary equipment, room and their presentation tastes and preferences.  However, the question of where to begin the auditioning process is always a foremost one.  Thus, the more information that can be amassed and analyzed, the better. 

Prior to upgrading all my cabling from Wire World (4 Electra 7 @$260, Series 8 XLR @ $600 and series 8 speaker cable @ $1500+, and 2 x 15 yo Boutique PCs @ $500) I applied Mad Scientist Audio's Graphene Contact Enhancer to all of them (ditto to all the new cables). That alone was revelatory, and dirt cheap compared to replacing cables, but I read a Agon forum thread about Counterfeit Chinese Cables and tried replacing just my Pangea Premier SE coax ($169) with a Nordost named brand (only the name is copied, still bad, but...) Nordost Odin 2 from DIY HiFi Store at ~ 1/3 the price + free shipping. The only knock being it took 3 weeks from China to S FL, but it was WORTH IT.

I then slowly proceeded to replace everything with the exception of 2 PCs; one to my CorePower 1800 PLC and one to my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 external power supply both from Amazon < $35! and amazing. The XLR interconnect is Odin Gold as are the PCs to my Audiolab CDT6000 and Tweak Audio EVS 1200 power amp. Finally I bought Nordost Odin 2 speaker cables which I eventually replaced with Odin Gold. All in < $1000

since then, Verifi Audio has introduced 2 products that from the user reports are amazing and relatively inexpensive; the Swiss Fuse and the Puron AC power conditioner (see the Agon forums). I haven't gotten them yet, but these plus Graphene Contact Enhancer seems to be must have upgrades before upgrading cables

hth

Check out the Inakustik Reference line. My speaker and IC cables are Inakustik and I like what they bring to the system. The power cord from the wall to the power conditioner is Inakustik. At some point I will change the rest of the power cords to Inakustiks.