Great detailed information, Albert. It's always refreshing to read such descriptive commentary (especially the fitting and ergonomic qualities), and I'm heartened to see you (also) recognize the vagueries of power delivery, by stating...."All sound different and often the deciding factor is WHAT it's plugged into." Clearly, your experience has proved this out. If only the skeptics would gain such real-world experience before putting forth negative and/or disparaging commentary.
On another point....the Acrolink P4030's are made *only* with a deep, dark blue cable....none are 'gray', nor are any of the AC connectors (those being red, blue, and amber). The only AC connectors that would appear to be gray in any fashion would be the more expensive Acrolink carbon fiber-and-aluminum bodied units.
With all the cables you've auditioned, it's only natural for some of them to blend together on the color spectrum. Take a break for a while!