Louisl,
I just went through selecting speaker cables which is the last cabling I have addressed in my system. I was so impressed with the improvements, and this is with all 4 sets that I auditioned, that it left me wondering the same thing. "Should I have changed the speaker cables first so I could hear the differences in the ICs?" Seems it could go both ways. That is, if you're IC's aren't up to it then you don't really hear what the speaker cables can do, or if you're speaker cables aren't up to it then you don't really hear what the IC's can do.
With all of the choices in quality cabling these days I'm not sure that it really matters. You may not end up with the exact same combinations by starting from the sources as you would by starting from the speakers. But if you are auditioning each with your system I still think you will choose the best synergy anyway.
I just went through selecting speaker cables which is the last cabling I have addressed in my system. I was so impressed with the improvements, and this is with all 4 sets that I auditioned, that it left me wondering the same thing. "Should I have changed the speaker cables first so I could hear the differences in the ICs?" Seems it could go both ways. That is, if you're IC's aren't up to it then you don't really hear what the speaker cables can do, or if you're speaker cables aren't up to it then you don't really hear what the IC's can do.
With all of the choices in quality cabling these days I'm not sure that it really matters. You may not end up with the exact same combinations by starting from the sources as you would by starting from the speakers. But if you are auditioning each with your system I still think you will choose the best synergy anyway.