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
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