[starbux48]

Components involved are:
 
Yamaha A-S500 Integrated Amp
MacBook Pro w/3.5mm and USB audio outs
Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers
HRT Music Streamer II Dac
 
I'm sure Head-Fi'ers run the gamut from those who can buy anything they want to a few like myself who are trying to connect the above components on an unemployed budget.  I may even have to eliminate the HRT but would like a USB Dac of some kind, theirs being reasonably priced.
 
Talking to some people I've been recommended cables from Audioquest, Kimber, and even Belkin.  In fact, the CTO of HRT even suggested a Belkin Gold USB cable.  I am trying maybe the impossible, to make something out of nothing, but I am trying.  Got the amp & speakers below MSRP and desiring to play my lossless music off my Mac as best I can.  Having some built-in speaker problems as well as 3.5mm problems now and then, so feel safer doing USB out if I can.
 
Please flood me with your suggestions.  Any and all are appreciated.
 
Oh, in case I can't afford a USB Dac, would like to find either the best way to get reliable audio out of the Mac.  May not have a choice but to run either optical or analog from the 3.5mm to my Yamaha.  FiiO also makes something called the E3 I think that takes optical in and does RCA out.

 

[olor1n]

Blue Jeans Cable.

 

[Uncle Erik]

X2 on BlueJeans. Monoprice is good, too.

And if you have to have something that looks fancy, roll your own. A $5 soldering iron works fine. You'll save hundreds. Cables have the highest markup of any audio product.

 

[iamthecheese]

Another vote for blue jeans, or monoprice if your budget is really tight.

 

[El_Doug]

x4 on the BJC - terrific build quality without the abercrombie and fitch pricing scheme