Cable Costs Relative to System

Having recently gained new interest in "upgrading" my system (some parts are 17 years old!) I got a Preamp, a DVD-A, and started spending $$$ on cables.
I HAD Kimber PBJ all around up top and AQ Midnight down below. Stickin' with the AQ as it's still good enough fer' my system. BUT got a wierd one foot silver pair of Kimber speaker stuff turned into a RCA pair. Ripped that apart and made 3 sets of "sorta" KCAG with the RCAs off the PBJ. Hey, sounds better!! I love silver!
So then I try the Zucable PC auctioned off here as of late.
Hmmm sounds wierd, (right off the PC cut my bass in half but gave the top new life. moved the PC out of the power conditioner and bass was back) but I can't go WITHOUT the PC. I try the system without the PC in and it sounds all woolly and dull.
So here I am, a NONBELIEVER in power cables really getting into powercables. Damn, I've spent several hunnert' bucks in the past month or so on cable stuff. Three G's for a real KCAG pair fer' mah pre/amp gap!
All I'm tryin to say is spend your BIG money on BIG stuff like AMPS and speakers, "killer" CD players. THEN play with the wire things. Buying 'em is easy in this site. and you can sell 'em if they suck (in your system!)(of course don't buy the ones I want!!!!! ha ha)
Oh... and mah system is round $11K and the wire stuff is 'round a thou' and rising fast!
Iwould NOT budget a bundle for cables... if I was start'n over I'd do what I done, build slow and savor the experience

i am flabbergasted that anyone would say that the purchase of a $3,000 power cord equates with a $15,000 increase in the price of an amp upgrade. where in the world did you come up with that figure? my system is worth considerably more (at msrp) than the one put together by metaphysics and none of it was bought used. all the wire in it comprises less than 5% of the total value. adding a $3,000 power cord to a $5,000 pramp is the equivalent, in my opinion, of stuffing a corvette engine into a geo metro; it may be faster off the line but it's still a metro.

Cornfed, well put.

I think that's what they said about the Shelby Cobra : )

I agree with you wholeheartedly even though i joked about what you said. Just like anything else, something that is well designed to start with needs less "finessing" than something that was "lacking" when it left the factory. Buy better gear and go and go from there. Sean
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I'm with cornfed; the whole wire and power cord thing is the most shameless ripoff in all of the High End. Yes, good wire makes an improvement, but not a huge one, and the cost structure is so obscene it makes me sick. If you knew the markup on most brands of cable and cords, you'd feel like punching the next guy that has the gall to try and sell you this stuff at near-retail. Yes, I used to own pricey wire and I have an expensive system that can reveal wire differences. It doesn't mean I have to buy into this swindle though. But ultimately it's your money and your value system, if expensive wire works for you psycho-acoustically or psycho-somatically, than go for it. Me, I'm back to nice but sanely-priced wire from now on. And no more "magic cords" filled with nonsense and galling hyperbole. Hey, who wants to buy a $2000 power cord--it'll make all the difference in your system, I promise!! Yikes......