Hardwiring?

Systems are actually going in the other direction. Used to be that power cords were hard wired to components, now everything is IEC connectors. We used to just have CD players, now transport and DAC. We used to just have preamps, now phono preamp and line stage preamp (I know, you have given up on the lowly LP). Is this stuff really market driven, hardware manufacturer driven, or cable manufacturer driven?

Your theory is sound, however there are much, much more variables to consider. Firstly, cables are an important variable to your sound. While there may be a lot of hype, which cable you choose to use can affect the sound. Depending on the components, (or cables), the length could have an effect as well.
Then you have to consider the connection. It is true that the connection is very important, and soldering is only one type of connection, not an elimination of such. A crimp or screw on type would be another that often works better than a solder joint. Keep in mind that the device used to make the connection, such as an rca, will also have some sort of connection (usually a solder) on the component, and the quality of the connection is a variable. While a high quality crimp rca (such as a wbt 108) will always outperform a radio shack soldered, your milage will vary. If you were to hard wire your components together, your milage would vary depending on how many connections you were to eliminate, the quality of them, and of corse, which wire you use.

Acoustat Monitor 4 speakers aren't hardwired to their servo amps but the stock speaker wire is only inches in length. i know people who modify these speakers and they say no cable they've ever tried to replace the stock cable with ever amounted to better sound. i assume it's due to the short length. so i wonder, if hardwiring isn't something one would want to do for the sake of being able to change gear, how about forgetting the looks of a well placed setup and constructing the system to use virtually only inches of cabling? anyone know if this is worth investigating?

The first comment, that one does not keep components long enough to make this worthwhile is very true. I have had a pair of Infinity speakers for almost twenty years. It comes with an 'eq' box between pre and amp. That box had been hardwired for a number of years, and then I finally put it back to RCAs in and out again, because I was not about to cut up some Kimber KCAGs.
The idea of hardwiring might be partially realized, but it would be foolish to do the whole system!!! Think of trying to move it!!

Sean and Elizabeth are on to something. I have thought about hardwiring my stuff, but was never ready to commit to my present system so completely.

It's kinda like getting married. Things are easier to join together than to put asunder!!!

With the idea that every connection is a loss of signal, hardwiring would eliminate several connections. Even if a person could do the amp to speaker I think it would be a great improvement.

If ALL audiophiles could agree (I know, I know, I had to stop typing for a while to let the laugther subside) on one cable as the perfect cable then equipment companies could have a predetermined length of cable protruding from the back of the piece of gear. Rather than having two connections (one on each piece) the gear would have only one that met in the center or middle of the length of the cable.

Since this is never going to happen we will have to live with the shortcomings of the multiple connections and loses of signal. BUT maybe someday...