Power Cables - Stock vs. Budget

Audio Art Cable entry level PCs , worth the money

Order Supra Lorad 2.5 with some nice connectors of your choice. One nice thing about DIY is that you have no "cord clutter". This is a highly regarded cable--hard to beat in your price range.

That is a really good question. While I have a lot of experience putting together systems (for me) from $5K to $150K, I can’t answer it. I think I would continue to invest in components for now. I have bought $100 power cords from Shunyata and others and honestly got no improvement. On the other hand the Audio Quest Hurricane ($2K) I put on my amp was simply stunning… a really significant and cost effective enhancement.

What is your system and venue? There is a place to put photos under your ID. This would be really useful to help answer your question. It is really difficult knowing nothing about your system.

I would invest in components until your average component cost is well over $2K. This is a guess.

Lincoln 

150$ on AliExpress buys you some splendid power cords. Way better than anything made in EU or US and sold for that price. I'm constantly on a budget, so AliExpress has become my go-to place for audio cables and accessories (footers and all). Most would frown at the idea, and I do get the ethical / economical issues, but when money is tight and you want the best for that little amount of cash, you have to make a choice at some point. In my opinion a 100$ power cord from our famous EU or US brands is too entry level to make any real difference, while a 100$ Chinese power cord is often build like the more upmarket power cords, and you hear it.