The Chord Co.

Yes, I got yer drift, Lugnut! I've been in touch with the fellow at RidgeStreet, and that is another route I'm looking into. As for the DIY, that's another, and cheaper, option. I have a DIY powercord in my system, which I like a lot, but have never tackled an IC. Sure, send me the recipe and I'll see what I can do with it.

I currently use a Chord Company Odyssey biwire speaker cable. In general Chord cables are great value because they have no specific character of their own. They're just good/very good at everything they're thrown at, surely when you take their price into consideration.
I did test the Nordost Blue Heaven speakercables last weekend however (here in Belgium nearly 3x the Odyssey price), and it surely injected lots of air,detail and definition in every department without making the music sound harsh. Maybe worthwile to investigate to get rid of that darkness you were talking about (but without putting in brightness).

Kind regards!

Musketier.... thanks for the suggestions and comments. Much appreciated. I'm not sure if you're recommending I try the Odyssey or the Blue Heaven to deal with the slight darkness.

I use the chord co's signature interconnect in my system and it is by far the best i have ever heard. i got rif of my valhalla's when i heard these. i cant even begin to tell you how much i love these cables. now i just cant wait fr the signature speaker cables to come out. Again, if you get the chance, LISTEN TO THEM, they are hands down the best in my book.

You could simplify your life and just use BEL-The Wire. One cable for I/C, Digital and speaker. They all work great and they're not very expensive.