I would suggest the biggest difference is made where the biggest upgrade is made. I have some ‘decent’ xlrs, equivalent or better speaker cables, so for me, I’m sure upgrading my power cords would likely reveal a greater benefit than going a few steps up the IC ladder. Others may have already upgraded their power, so for them they’d benefit more from IC’s. I remember being truly shocked when I had my speakers dialed in for placement and then added the spikes. I did it because it was suggested, not because I expected anything, but then ‘damn!’. Since then I have upgraded cables, wires and components, and each step has shown a positive jump, indicating I’m not yet at the limit of what my speakers can offer. I’m not sure it’s quantifiable to say ‘X’ will provide the biggest improvement in a system because no two people hear the same, are in the same room, have the same tastes or system to begin with. To use the car analogy, replacing street tires on the Miata with racing slicks would help the Miata’s lap times. But if someone else has a GT3 and goes from similar street tires to racing slicks, his lap times will drop a lot farther because his performance envelope was previously far more restricted by his tires than the Miata drivers.
Having said, could anyone quantify which driver is having more fun?? :)
