Spkr, interconects, or power cable upgrade first?

Not arguing with those advocating addressing power cords first. I do suspect benefits of the change will depend on which (PC, IC, SP) is the "weakest link" in the chain...that is, which is doing the most to limit or degrade signal generation or transfer. In my case, I doubt I'd have heard an improvement had I changed power cords prior to addressing speaker cables given their oxidized state. Maybe the generic answer is to change out that piece first that is furthest away from "state of the art" - or maybe make that furthest away from "best of the art" available with a specific budget.

if you can borrow a set or sets of cables, that is ic, spkr and pc, listen to the differences between each one and decide for yourself.

my own experiences point to equal weight on all cables.
therefore, i don't think it matters in which direction to go at first.

There is always noise riding on the AC power. Removing it is a 1st step to enable better analyzing other possible upgrades. A used MIT Shotgun AC1 proved economical & effective in my system. Experienced pros know the hierarchy of improvement starts at the source-power.Good luck.

Thanks for all the advice.. You guys are great!! I really love this site and have enjoyed reading and learning from others advice and experiences.

Decided to go with some PBJ interconnects found at good price, next looking at some power options. I know when I have the system cranked at -8 or so and it starts dimming the lights in the room. So trying to solve this and maybe improve sound? Some sort of AC conditioner or something would prob be best before the actual cable? Also thinking of running ext. cord for the lamps and everything else except audio equipment on that breaker.

Clint

Hi Clint,

IMHO, the first thing you should do is have an electrician install a 20A dedicated line for your audio system. This should come before all three cable options. Second, buy a good receptacle for the electrician to install, like a Powerport. This should cost about $150 depending on where you live, including the receptacle.

After that you can worry about power conditioners and cables. No sense putting the cart before the horse. Power cords won't fix your issues with lighting, you need to isolate the circuit. Just my $0.02.

Cheers,
John