If you want a system that stays crystal clear for years, start with the cables. Use 24‑AWG copper or, if budget allows, pure silver for the conductors. Keep the shield a solid copper braid, not flimsy foil, so you avoid phase shift or RF pickup. Connectors are next. Gold‑plated, soft‑contact types like those from Neutrik or a good brand of BNC keep the joint from corroding and preserve the signal. On the source side, go for a high‑end DAC that uses a balanced input and output. The balanced path cuts out noise from the power supply and gives you a cleaner headroom. Housing matters too: an enclosure that blocks magnetic fields, with proper ventilation and a dust seal, will protect the internal parts. Use a quality amplifier with a low‑noise, low‑distortion op‑amp stage, and keep the power supply clean and well‑filtered. Finally, maintenance is key. Check your cables for visible wear, clean the contacts every few years, and keep the room temperature and humidity stable. It’s the small, consistent steps that keep the system sounding like a fresh take for decades.

Sounds like a solid next step. Just a quick tip: set up a simple spreadsheet or a notebook with columns for date, component, what was changed, and any observed differences. That way you can see trends before you notice a drop in clarity. Consistency pays off.

Glad you’re on board with the logs. A tidy record turns guesswork into data, so when the hum creeps in or a component starts to drift, you’ll spot it before it hurts the sound. Keep it simple, keep it regular.