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

TEN YEARS lATER (i posted on this thread ten years ago!)
I have changed everything in my system.
My current two channel system is (money I actually paid) $25,000. for only the stuff of a two channel system. I calculated the additional cost of what i paid for ALL cabling for said system and it is: $2,500. A miracle. 10%. Then i also have power conditioning, and that is an additional 10% of total two channel system I paid. (though the conditioning is also part of the surround/video system)
So I would put the actual cost of ALL cabling of the two channel, plus half the cost of the conditioner, so it is 15% total actual cost over the actual cost of my two channel system.
I use the mainstream stuff. Kimber mostly. and Pangea power cords. The Pangea are a great value by the way. not cheap, but not expensive either, but well received.
The arguments are STILL the same between naysayers of a wire is just a wire, and the folks who say spending kilobucks on wire is the ONLY way to go.
What has happened is the naysayers are just not crabbing at the kilobuck wire folks anymore. They have given up. (probably because they have found it is like yelling at a brick wall, or? because they found out wires make a difference?)
I hope i am in a middle ground. i find wire does make a difference, but Hell if i am gonna pay a lot for that last tiny percentile of effect.
So after ten years ,the story is still the same.
Hope i can pop in another comment in ten more years.

I have a coil of 200ft of a quality Belden Teflon shielded coax (recommended by Jon Risch and a pile of Vampire RCA tiffany style connectors I have yet to put together. (Lucky me i bought the Belden before the big price increase in Teflon products, and the seeming disappearance of 'by the foot' Beldon esoteric products)
Since i am so lazy.. I never made the interconnects. I even have a template I made to hold the RCA and wire to solder with Cardas solder (which i also still have!)
Maybe i should get off my arse and make the cables...
When I was MUCH younger I made some interconnects like 30 years ago with Levinson branded teflon coax and cheap Radio Shack RCAs. (I still have them but not using them)
One thing is making a good power cable can be just as expensive as just buying a readymade one like the $70 cords. (I also made a bunch of powercords with Wattgate and shielded Belden, but the Pangea turned out to be better in my system.)

I still have to say the gap between the folks who are crazy for cables and those who are not so crazy is very, very wide.
I continue to tread what i think is a middle ground of 'some' money for somewhat better cables.
But I still find spend the money on the equipment is the best choice.

I am currently deciding whether it is worth the money to buy some better power cables. At $320 for a four meter powercord for the amp is making me think about it. I probably will try it. But it is getting too expensive there for my cord philosophy to accept as reasonable. (Actually it is on the cusp.. so I am just not certain if it is worth the trouble...) Though for the 10% rule it is well within the range, as my amp cost $4,300.
I have reterminated some 25 year old interconnects and find I really like them on my digital stuff.

And as a final thought, I cannot see saying 'cables first' as making any sense at all. Except to cable sellers and manufactureres. The idea of expensive cables first is just totally crazy in my book. That is just me. (and plenty of others.) but if it floats anyone's boat, then so be it, Feel free to buy $10,000. cables for your Radio Shack receiver...

Two MORE years have gone by. Still ahve all the same components. I did buy a fre of the pangeaAC9SE cords. They did make an improvement in some areas.
Now i am buying a whole new set of interconencts. I tried one Cardasparsec and loved how it sounds. Bought another and now I am going 'all in'. Replacing all my main interconnects with Parsec. The total cost less trade ins and discounts so far is $1,850
With plans for two more pairs for an additional $650 (total would be $2,500)
I sold a few wires, and traded others i did not need anyway which helped keep the cost down some... Especially for my seven meter pre to amp cable.
The difference one meter of Parsec made was so significant, I am buying the whole setup worth.
At least the total cost of these interconencts is well under the 10% of system cost.
Which helps me keep things in perspective.
I like what the Parsec does for my system's sound. No question. For others who knows.

OI never bought all one cable before. though I did have a lot of Kimber cables up to now.

I reiterate the 10% relation of cables to system is for those who are unsure of what to spend. For those who feel fully competent to decide for themselves like "Audiolabyrinth" the percentages have no meaning nor any relevance.
Folks able to decide the merits of cables and choose to spend far more are not beingdisparaged in any way. they are to be congratulated for finding their own way.

The basis for the 10% is when new folks, or folks not sure what is the best choice.. Well advise them 10% is a good place to be.

This it the way i describe it.

So when the sirens call and want you to spend $XXX on some cable and you are seriously not sure.. Think of the 10% rule. And balance it out.

But if you are confident spending $2000 for a powercord for your $850 electronics is 'RIGHT' then do not worry about rules.