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How to allocate my cable dollars.

I have a Classe processor (SSP-800), McIntosh amps (501), and B&W speakers (802). I've been talking to my hi-end audio store about upgrading cables. My current cables are rather inexpensive generic cables. How do I allocate my dollars between, interconnects, power cables, speaker wire, and HDMI cables? On which cables should I spend the most and where the least? Where does higher dollars spent result in the most bang for the buck?
stockinv
gshepardbuster's avatar
gshepardbuster
620 posts
 
I would focus on ICs, then speaker wire, and only then mess with power cords. IMO the dedicated lines I ran did as much or more as any power cords or condtioner. I do have upgraded PCs and a cheap conditioner but the differences were not as great as the ICs and speaker wire. Another thing is on the lower end ICs the xlrs are much cleaner than rcas IMO.
bjesien
1,282 posts
 
I'm more on line with 20% too. This probably doesn't include the QX4 and QB8. Only you can judge and try to it with some sort of blind comparison. The changes are typically not shocking but should be closer to natural if that makes sense.
meiwan
399 posts
 
I've been playing with cables for a while, and settled on spending about equal on interconnects and speaker cables, about half that on power cables. I guess if you work it out, that's about equal for each individual cable (since power cables are singles).

In order of impact - interconnects, power cable, speaker cable.

Total of about 20% of your system is good.

A decent HDMI cable is worth it, as others have said.
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