Thanks Peter:

1. My number one priority will be the CDP; the subs can wait until Christmas.

2. I've always used lamp cord (zip wire), but this time I think I'm gonna' plurge and buy some Axiom wire at $1/ft. I bought some Dayton RCA audio connectors a few years ago (highly rated back then and so cheap), so those are going to be my amp/speaker interconnects. That's it until I win the lottery.