Componets first, cables second?

It is very seldom that the cables cost as much,or more than the component.There are exceptions.Though I must admit that the cables I use are not cheap,but as I down-graded I kept the original cables.I guess it may depend on whether you are on the way up or down.They say you meet the same people on the way up ,as you do on the way down.

I guess ultimately what I am getting at here ( and it is good to hear all these opinions) is in my process of upgrading and budgeting how much should I put aside for cabling?

Of course that is impossible for anyone here to answer except myself. But the way I see it now is putting down a signifigant chunk of change for a choice component and then slowly upgrading cables might be wisr than splitting the difference. Sure i could buy a set of steath indra's but then my cdp might end up costing equal to or less than the cables.
So do have the cables cost a third of my player, a quarter, less? Or do I go all out, for a component, throw in a 100-200 dollar pair of cables and worry about upgrading later?

Maybe this line of thinking is like trying to put holes in swiss cheese...or something like that

I'm up and down. John I hear you. I am relaxed, breathing just fine. Really, I don't get worked up over much, unless theres a lack of beer in the house.

Really I'm not even making an component change right now. I'm just gathering knowledge from the folks here who in general have vastly more expereince than I. Thats all. If the time does come to upgrade this or that or balance one way or the other, I'll have an arsenal of knowledge and hopefully a little wisdom to make the appropriate choice. That for me is the journey, to be prepared when the time comes.

Bowbow: I honestly don't know how Shadorne's "Place in my mind..." system is setup, but if he's feeding the ATC 100SLA's (active), and powered sub, with the Anthem proc, which probably feeds the Bryston into the ATC 20SL's, that's nothing to scoff at by anyone's standards, and far from being "consumer"! Not sure of his first-draft-choice for a "source", but maybe he's got a hidden "sleeper" within the mix.

I've read many of Shadorne's posts over the years, and he quite knowledgeable with an array of audio-related topics, and can probably run circles around a high percentage of so-called "audiophiles".

Bowbow,

I would hear no difference in cabling with those [Shadorne's] components either...

That has been my experience - no difference. My system reflects that. I figured some people would laugh but then again people tend to laugh at those who act differently. My broker was also quite amused in May/June when I requested a face to face meeting and then instructed him to sell virtually all my portfolio of stocks and go to cash, which he did grudgingly.