Cable confusion and questions.

As ones system components improve the difference between cables will be more noticeable.

Thanks for the responses and suggestions guys.I am very open to buying used cables but just trying to avoid the hassles of trying a lot of different cables and spending a bunch of time and money in the process.I'm a set it and forget it kind of person and like to do things the right way once and be done with it.I will continue to rearch some of the suggestions made and look over the cables for sale.Thanks again.

Regardless of whether or not you might ultimately find a cable that you can clearly hear the benefit of over another cable, you have to start somewhere and establish a baseline for your considerations.

It makes sense to start with something well-regarded but inexpensive and just listen for awhile until you know your system very well, then begin to explore as your interest moves you and your budget allows.

The Blue Jeans and Signal cables are a great place to start, or buy some Canare 4s11 or 4s8 cable in bulk and terminate yourself or use it bare wire. Then keep an eye out for a good used price on something you can A/B with your baseline and resell if any difference isn't worth it to you.

I've had years of listening experience with the Kimber 8TC and found it to be a fine cable. However, I quickly sold them once I heard the JPS Labs Ultraconductor which goes for the same price used. The JPS sounded more open, detailed and the highs more refined and smoother without loss of detail and the bass more defined.
As someone said earlier in this post, much of this is subjective, and component dependent.
Trial and error with used cables that have good resale value is the way to find what you like.
Also, The Cable Company 'rents' cables for you to try in your own system and is worth exploring.

I second Byroncunningham Kimber suggestion; I used Kimber with an Onkyo TX-NR 905 and thought they worked well together.

Those who make their living selling I/C would have you believe that moving a signal is problematic. This just simply is not true. Any cable you try will a) not make any difference that you hear (most likely), b) sound worst that what you had before or c) make some improvement. If I were buying new, I would not buy unless I could first hear the cable in my system. If I were buying on A'gon I would only buy if I could purchase at Blue Book or less and would only buy a cable that had active sales activity. "not enough data to graph" would be not an option. IOW - if I could likely not sell for whatever I had in it, I would likely not take the plunge.

Timrhu hits the nail on the head! PNF Audio does that for me. There are other good ones out there that don't cost an arm & a leg as well. I've tried LOTS of them but PNF has been the best, long term value for me. That doesn't mean Kimber or AQ or Morrow might not be the right thing for you. Trouble with cables is that they are a VERY expensive proposition to try one at a time.

One suggestion I would make in buyng cables, think of them like another component and buy everything from one manufacturer if you can. Usually, they were designed together and will usually work together. PNF ICON and Symphony are a good case in point. they are really a synergistic match for each other.

It is maddening trying to find that right cable mix, took me years to settle on PNF. So as Timrhu says, buy a good cable that makes you happy, realx and enjoy your music!

Markw1 - I share your frustration with selecting cables. I have found that, more than any other part of the audio chain, choosing the right cables requires experimentation. Admittedly, that can get expensive, which is why so many folks, myself included, recommend buying used cables here on A'gon, so that if and when you discover that a cable isn't right for your system, you can sell it to someone for whom it may be a better match.

Having said that, I am familiar with the sound of both Integra and Paradigm, and I believe that the Kimber 8TC you mentioned is a good, safe choice. I previously owned the 8TC's and found them dynamic, open, and reasonably coherent. But there I go, using the cable vernacular that drives you crazy. Which brings me back to experimentation...

What do you want your cables to do? Pass a signal cleanly from one component to the next? Not really a difficult task, is it?
Find a well constructed cable and relax.

I agree with really higher end stuff being snake oil , Lets face it when cables cost more then most really good amplifiers , speakers, CD player and preamps theres a problem . I cant justify spending more then $1000 on any type of cable not to mention the high end snake oil goes up to $8-10.000 dollars and more , COME ON

It's all subjective, and much of the really higher end stuff is famously just snake oil.

with your set up, I would humbly suggest the Kimber 8tc,
Signal Cable, or the Alpha Core.

All great, reasonable choices.