Building first 2 channel system, need cable advice

No - there is absolutely no difference as to an inexpensive cable and an expensive cable. If you are using shielded cables the only thing important is that the shield envelopes the conductors - foil is generally a better way to achieve this than braid but should not add anything to the cost. You can build your own cables. A decent seller of this stuff without the hype and ripoff is Blue Jean Cable. As to speaker wire - blind a/b tests demonstrate that no one can tell the difference between different speaker wire - My choice would be something large such as #12, just to lessen I squared R drops but even this is overkill. Of course I am making the assumption that you are using less than 100 ft runs to each speaker, if you are running the wire out to speakers in the barn, 1000 ft away, then it pays to look at t-line effects. As to spending more for biwiring - this is better termed buywiring - there is no benefit to that practice. Don't fall into the wasteful habit of buying into snake oil. There are plenty of places to spend money in this hobby, put the money where it matters - speakers by far the most important, followed by amps, with preamps a distant third and sources way down the line, and of course one can always purchase more music.

I would definitely look at Omega Micro inter connects and speaker cables. I recently switched from MIT Shot Gun S-1 to Omega Micro Planer line and what an amazing difference in the performance of my system. Mapleshades which is a less expensive line also has some unique sound charateristics that you might really enjoy given the high performance capabilities of your speakers. I have found that smaller wires with little or no jacket or insulation around them really can produce some outstanding results. Good luck with your search. Herman

Use signal cables also inexpensive and no silliness. If you want to try a different type of conductor try vampire wire OCC long crystal copper in a Zip cord . The other to consider is silver. Silver has a particular sound to it. The sound is frequently desribed as quick but can be harsh with treble. The Silver Signal cable or better is the Homegrown silver cables are the no nonsense cables. Home grown's best is called silver lace cable, it moves you out of cheap category but they have less expensive all silver conductor styles.
Keep in mind that most cables are built with commercial wire from Belden and Mogami if you avoid Chinese wire.
A few are still making their own like Van den Huls or are special OEM .
Yes cables sound different, but don't get stuck on them avoid a long sales schtick. Cables represent the highest percentage of B.S. that gets pawned off to audiophiles. The costs can be absurdly high to the point where it is obscene and in my vioew a very real sin. If you can throw 10,000 at an interconnect please think of a worthy charity and give them 9,000. The remainder will still net a sense of investing in an IC will provide esteem and is still mostly snake oil anyway.

Yah I have heard that expensive cables arn't really worth it. So theoretically silver cables are supposed to sound harsher on the high end? I will probably steer clear of that then. Signal cables look good esp for the price. Any experiences with those?

It still amazes me that companies that produce really high end speakers charge tons for their cables and claim they are better (Zu Audio for example). That is what I really don't understand.

I'm sure you've heard this, but it all depends on your ears and budget. If possible borrow from a friend, try The Cable Company's lending program, or try one of the vendors who offers a money back guarantee. I've also purchased a couple used cables on this site based on reviews here and in the various mag's. I've bought a couple that didn't gel with my system, so I turned around and resold them with virtually no loss.

In my experience, I've found noticeable resolution, improvemed clarity, and tighter bass by upgrading cables. My previous cables were lower level MIT cables. I moved to Audioquest Diamondback's and a Kimber Hero in my system (McIntosh MC2105, A/R LS-7 pre & Dynaudio 52SE's). For my level of system, I feel that they match up pretty well. For the heckuva it, I borrowed a buddy's A/Z Matrix Ref's. While it was a great cable on his system, the limitations of my system held it back. For what it's worth, I try to stick to cables that do not exceed 10-15% percent of the equipment's original cost

Thanks for the info. I think I am going to try Signal Audio Cables. I have heard good things from a couple people and the price isnt too bad either.

Does anyone know what cables I need to hook up the SA bass amp? Im a bit confused. If I hook the transporter to my amps via XLR cables, do you think I could also hook up the non balanced output connectors on the transporter and hook that up to the bass amp?

So far in my audio journey I have found that the UPOCC silver wire is fantastic and beyond comparisson, but I have not tried any foil or ribbon designs. Theoretically it would be the best metal conductor available (7n purity and single crystal.
Cheers Jaap

Look into Oyaide PA-02 cables. Uses Furukawa-supplied PCOCC ("Ohno Continuous Cast") copper, well-built and inexpensive relative to the "field".