i still have a couple of runs of Esoteric OFC wires; two different gauges- one heavy and one medium. i had spade lugs soldered to the ends by the store i bought this stuff from (for a small fee). it couldn't have been more than 5-10 bucks a foot. but they didn't carry "speaker cables", although they did have interconnects starting at $30 and going up to $125/M. It's fair to say that there is no reason to go much beyond what this store's owner felt was adequate wires
to get excellent results from most equipment. i went over to his house a couple of times and listened to his modified Thorens turntable playing music over his Quad speakers. it sounded really great- not on the same level as the Rowland dealer's setup, or the Wilson dealer, etc. but he had a glorious album collection
and i doubt he felt his system was lacking anything.
but it all depends on how critical you become about linking ever-more-expensive gear together.
to get excellent results from most equipment. i went over to his house a couple of times and listened to his modified Thorens turntable playing music over his Quad speakers. it sounded really great- not on the same level as the Rowland dealer's setup, or the Wilson dealer, etc. but he had a glorious album collection
and i doubt he felt his system was lacking anything.
but it all depends on how critical you become about linking ever-more-expensive gear together.