Kck, the only way you'll know is to try it out. I, for one, do not spend more than 300-350 for a pair of ICs or speaker cables. As for power cords, I have the Signal Cable Magic Power Cord ($60, I think) and their Magic Power Digital Cord ($70, I think). At least in my experience, the power cords did make a significant difference over the stock cords - definately worth the minimal investment (by audiophile standard). My friends think I'm crazy buying a $60 power cord. It's all relative. Would I ever buy a $5000 cable, IC, or cord? No. At those prices, I think it's mostly snake oil. I rather buy a better pair of speakers, amp, or CDP.