Weakest Link + hardwired = ??

Yes, I believe they were gold in color. I remember them as being very tight fitting on my Int. amp's rca jacks. The Neutrik's are very, very good. If you decide to order them you'll be impressed w/them, especially considering how little they cost. I did this same mod on my other TT, a vintage Pioneer, which had some really cheap RCA connectors. Same sonic upgrade. Very much worth the effort and expense. Be sure to have a very good wire stripper ( I own a Klein made for solid wire) and use silver-bearing solder. BTW, the Project is a very nice sounding TT. Let us know how things work out. Bill

I changed out the really cheap stock RCA connectors on my entry level Project TT (Model 1.2 I believe) w/ some Neutrik NYS373's. ($1.89 from PartsExpress.) What a difference! Good advice from Carl. I don't what model you own, but if it has those inexpensive 35-cent RCA connectors on your cable, consider changing them out. In regards to your second question, yes it will make a difference but I personally won't go overboard on the IC. Bill.