Interconnect recommendations

I thought about just letting this thread die, but with each of you taking the time to help me, one last response. 

First let me apologize for being ‘ricochet rabbit’. I am admittedly an newbie to high end audio. Over the course of this thread, your responses have completely changed my strategy.  Now, IMHO, I believe cables are only the final step to ‘audio nirvana’. 

I asked about a new amp, vs high end cables, as I came to realize the costs of those cables, and the realization that I could upgrade my amp + less expensive cables for less or the same cost. 

Don’t hate me for this, but decided to ask ChatGPT. It’s response:  

Where it fits in the upgrade ladder 

If you buy the Holo Spring 3 KTE, the next most impactful move after that would indeed be the Coda No. 8 — not cables.

The DAC gives you texture and tone; the Coda gives you drive and dimensionality. Together they push your BHK + KEF chain into world-class territory.

So, unless anyone wants to dispute the ChatGPT recommendation, my strategy is DAC (not necessarily Holo), then Coda #8, then interconnects, probably Transparent Super speaker cables & interconnects in the high end Zavfino or Veritas price range. 

Thank you again for your thoughtful recommendations. 

@signaforce Pass XA has a much warmer sound than your 330a, with plush and round bass. The X series will be a bit more lively with slightly better instrument separations and a bit more bite than XA. Both XA and X series amps tend to give you a more general view on a soundstage and they tend to homogenize everything you play. The advantage of this type of presentation is everything sounds good. It’s a fatigue free type of sound that you can listen to all day and not get tired. 
Coda is a faster sounding amp. It has crystal clear mids and makes Pass sound grainy and even a bit hazy in comparison. Coda has better instrument separation and it’s more articulate. The bass is lightning fast and it retains texture and body.
It might seem a bit cooler sounding than Pass because of these qualities. 
Both Pass and Coda are fantastic amps. To me Coda is a much better value. It also doesn’t run as hot as Pass. It is all about system matching and the sound you’re after. 
Your 330a is a very nice amp. I’d do the upgrade first and just enjoy music as a first step. 
 

@audphile1 Excellent advice as always. You verified that the Coda was definitely the better fit for my sound preferences. Thanks!

Regardless of which interconnects you select, I recommend burn in. I recently purchased a Hagerman fry baby. There is notable improvement in terms of depth and vividness. 

Lots of advice here.  I do agree in the big picture that buying a better DAC is a good move.  That said, I like the Qutest a lot, especially used with an upgraded power supply and the green filter engaged.  Not suggesting this should be your end point, but if you are waiting a bit to allow your finances to recharge for a truly next level DAC, you might consider better cables for an instant boost with your current gear.  I auditioned some interconnect cables recently and landed on the Anticable Level 7.3 RCA Analog Interconnect.  These sound very good both with the Qutest and with an ESS Sabre DAC I have in another system.  So good in fact that I bought a pair their Level 6.3 RCA cables for my analog front end.

I purchased both pairs of Anticables used, so they were at least partially broken in - my understanding is that like Nordost cables, Anticables need a lot of time to settle down.  If this says anything, I bought one of the pairs from a reviewer who was using them as his reference cables and replaced them with some significantly more expensive Kubala Sonsa interconnects.  In any case, my experience indicates these cables are an excellent match for the Qutest, supporting its inherent good timing and detail retrieval without sounding the least glaring or bright.  Voices are rendered especially well.

Here is a pair available right now for very little money if you can make due with 0.5m length. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650257674-anticables-level-73-rca-12-meter/

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