There are many choices for speaker cables out there. If you have an unlimited budget, I think you should buy every available cable, then select the one you like the best. Failing at that, I think you should follow millercarbon’s advice and read reviews from members here on Audiogon. At some point, you should have enough confidence to purchase a set of cables. I recommend buying a used pair, by a reputable manufacturer. There are no "BEST" speaker cables at any price. If you find the pair you like, keep them. If not, keep looking! There are no magic bullets in this hobby, it’s mostly trial-and-error. That’s why we all have so much of this stuff.
Buying speaker cables on-line: Is this advisable?
I am in the market to upgrade my speaker cables for my system and will definitely be interested in considering used cables because of cost savings. I've started doing a considerable amount of research on selecting cables and it's very possible that I will buy the cables on-line. The dilemma I have is being able to see/hear all of these different cables that I am considering before making a decision. Are there certain questions I should be asking about performance or construction when making a decision? I have a solid state amplifier, Ayre AX-5 twenty. Are there certain types of cables that perform better with solid state amplifiers? Is there a way of getting performance information from manufactures like MIT, Purist, Kimber, etc? Is there is any situation in which one could consider purchasing cables without first hearing them in a system. Any and all thoughts are welcome as I continue this journey. Many thanks.