Better Electronics or New Cables???

A hardware upgrade will make the biggest improvement. Cables have an effect on sound that is for sure but it is not nearly as big as some would have you believe. I recently called the manufacture of my amplifiers and asked what they recommended. To my surprise, the guy laughed and said any well made cable, but he suggested that I not spend much and buy cable last as it would have the least effect upon the sound. He suggested that I apply better acoustical treatment to my listening room as this would have a bigger effect than cables. Though he did recommend some decent brands of cable and had some decent stuff in his personal set up, though nothing very expensive.

rock--what've you got and what're you trying to immprove?

Better electronics.

Randal, I've got a theory that as one moves up the component food chain the less important the conductors become to the end result. I've had the good fortune to source some top of the line (in their day) pieces at these stereo websites. As a result, my system's expressiveness has increased to such a degree that i'm beginning to feel some serenity with the whole shebang. It's scary! Here's the stuff (and where it came from): Theta Data Basic II (AudioReview); Theta Pro Prime IIa and Theta cable (New); Threshold FET ten/hl (AudioWeb); Kimber Hero (Audiogon); Threshold S/350e (Ebay); Radio Shack 14AWG Ribbon Speaker Wire (New); ProAc Tablette 2000 Signatures (New). Who's the next victim? Probably the Pro Prime IIa, but primarily because it's not the top of the line. Btw, I've got lots of vinyl left over from its heyday, but at this stage you couldn't pay me to buy, keep and preserve another fragile LP record. What are you listening through?

Well you didn't specify what you have. $1000 these days don't buy you much. If you have lower end electronics, then $1000 is a decent amount to spend on electronics. If you're pretty hi-end, then you should go cables and tweaks. Black Diamond Racing Cones and their other stuff will work wonders to your system.