Tom, if are going to try different ICs why not begin with the ones that more people had tried and liked, instead of trying to pick up from the ones people had rejected the most, even when some of them, could be great, for the same price you can get the Outlaws, or even better, than people seems to like better, I'm some kind of sceptic on cables, but all the people couldn't be wrong, something has to be true on that, I have read those same articles also, and many times, and I know that there is a lot of placebo effect on that, some myth, and some truth also, pick up to the point you can afford, or up to the point you feel is true....you will feel better in any case, if you decided to go DIY, choose nice cheap RCA, and get the Canare Starquad, it is simply magic, is a shame I do not have more time to make some of those myself, I doubt you could get better bang for the buck, the canare is just 36 cents a feet....and a very good cable, it has foru conductors inside, and a good shielding, and many colors to choose from......just my two cents.