Order of importance of cables

flg2001, according to your statement, AC cables are NOT important in apartment building because you can't install dedicated line for your music rig.

In 16 years of time I have done thousends of tests with cables. For me it is a lot of fun to do.

With the newest and best cables I even think powercables can make a bigger difference than loudspeakercables.

In the past I said: loudspeakercables will be the most important.

The tests I have done with the Purist Audio Limites Edition are stunning.

For example: test with a Wadia 7si of a client. He had a heavensgate powercable of about 2000 euro. The limited is about twice this price. At my home the difference was extreme. We are not talking about 20% better. But far more than 50%. The dynamics were superior, the mid freq. was so much more open and involving. The highs were a lot opener and the stage was bigger and wider. The individual focus of instruments and voices went to a different and a much higher level. The difference in blacks was stunning. I never heard a loudspeakercable doing this level for improvements.

About a week ago I visited his home. We did many different tests. Between interconnects and powercables. ( conditioners) When we connected the Purist Limited Edition. The difference between the interconnects was a lot bigger than with the heavensgate powercable.

I knew this from many other tests I did in the past. Powercables of high quality can make a huge improvement.

Another example: I owned the Pass Labs XA100.5 monoblocks. I used them with Purist Audio Aqueous powercables.

Later I owned the X-250.5 with the Limited Edition powercable. Overal I had a better end result compared to the XA100.5 with the Aqueous.

What was better?: More control, more drive. Better blacks and more decay and resolution. Also the articulation of voices is better with the X250.5 and Limited Edition.

Here you see: hearing is believing. That is why I love blindtests. The sound ( outcome) is what you hear and what counts most. It is that simple!

* It depends on the situation and cables. In general I think loudspreakercables will have the biggest improvement.

I also recommend starting with a power conditioner; even if you have a dedicated AC line. The noise level will be lowered and you will hear the true sound of your system, the sound will be more open and soundstaging improved.

Power cables are important as well, but once you've lowered the noise floor, then you can make educated choices on the next cables to upgrade. IMO, upgrading interconnects will help influence the timbre or color of the system.

In 16 years of time I have also tested many conditioners. Like amps, cables, speakers and sources there is more shit on the market than exeptional good stuff.

I use a powersource+. This conditioner is superior to any PS Audio product. It increases the dynamics, drive and all layers of the lowest freq. Even if you put cables like the Purist Audio Limited Edition to the conditioner, it works better than direct to the wahl.

The difference in the mid freq, are stunning. It has much more flavors and is more open in the mid freq.

In the high freq. there are more details and there is more decay. So you get a wider and deeper stage. I Always say: The right and left corner behind the speakers go deeper.

Another difference is the extra authority. ( less noise)
And the blacks are better as well so you get a more touchable image.

Last we week we compared interconnects from MIT and Audioquest. The silver interconnects from Audioquest are superior to all the copper MIT interconnects. Why?

Because silver gives you more resolution and a wider and deeper image compared to the copper interconnects. Silver is very important for the absolute sound. I have said this before. I had this discussion with a person who distributes Transparent overhere.

The individual focus of instruments and voices is superior with the Audioquest against the MIT. The New Wild Blue Yonder with there new improved plugs even let you hear the difference in hight of percussion. Going back to MIT, it is gone. And even the sharpness of the individual focus is inferior. The only small advantage of the copper is that the mid freq. are a little more involving.

My simple experience of a major improvement is similar to that of Lowrider57, with a Mapleshade Records Power Strip/Conditioner plugged into an AC wall outlet (this is not current limiting) together with a Machina Dynamica "Flying Saucer (RFI/EMI blocker) for AC outlet" plugged into the adjacent remaining AC outlet, as well as into a number of other unused AC outlets throughout listening room.
Easy to hear wonderful system wide improvement.
Modest cost with big benefit.