Output paths and system setups

Looking to get feedback on how often, if ever are you guys ( or gals if you're out there ) tweaking, either slightly ( say cabling ) or majorly, " adjusting " or trying something different in your system setup to see how it affects your listening experience. Are you constantly changing something, doing something once a year, or..... of the use it till it dies mentality. Other than listing your entire setups....have you made any small changes that maybe surprised you, which is where I'm coming from on this issue. I recently had been mostly playing output from itunes lossless library through a Music Streamer II DAC via USB to a Marantz 6006 receiver and 5 sierra 1 ( 1st gen ) in multi channel stereo ( with two added homebuilts to the fronts ) and HSU sub. I then tried other options for the output path. 1. Sending wirelessly from mac mini to receiver = nicely convenient but seemed to change the sound output making it slightly harsher. 2. Connecting mini with HDMI to receiver which seemed to sound slighly better, but I was still not satisfied. 3. and where I am at now running the HDMI from the mac mini to my oppo BDP 103 and then to the receiver. This seemed to move the instruments apart some and was noticably " different ". Now added to that, something that I always thought was possibly semi snake oil, changing the stock incoming power cable to a Pangea AC-9 on the receiver. Now with the separation of the instruments I am also hearing more of the tone and pitch of the notes of the guitar for example, and even hearing other faint instrumentation that I never new was there before on many tracks....and these are old ears that used to play drums. The ole stock sierras have never sounded better.....I wish I could spring for sierra 2's but medical issues and bills have put a damper on that......BUT my curiosity has been engaged to see what the rest of you may have tried that seemed to change things in your systems noticeably for the better.

For me, I don't put too much stock into different cables, amps, or what not...of course I have tried different pieces, and yes, I have heard some differences, but once you reach a certain quality, differences are minuscule at best IMO. Also, quality does not have to be expensive. The speakers are the most important parts of the system where the consumer has all the control of what to choose.

What I have focused on more and more is simplicity...making my system do what I need it to do, playing the formats I want, without the need of different parts and pieces, and making it easy to use...while maintaining quality sound. Most recently it has been experimenting with a XBMC based media player.

My next major purchases will be upgrading to Sierra-2's, and a newer universal remote (mine is still great, but getting old).

Curtis, I would agree with you on most of that. I hadn't really changed anything in almost 2 years as the oppo has to be getting close to that age now and it was to satisfy the BR,DVD,SACD,DVD-A coverage in one package. The rest of the gear is at least 3 or 4 years old, including the sierras I think ? I guess the weirdest thing was just changing the way things were set up and less than 80.00 I was able to squeeze out some more performance to my ears liking for not much cash, so it was kind of a treat. Yep I would like to get the S2's myself....but until then can't complain, well I could, but it would certainly be unjustified.