My four cents worth. (1) Cables can (but not always) make a difference; (2) Good quality silver is always better than good quality copper; (3) DIY is the way to go if you know what you are doing; (4) Buying Commercial cables: They all have their 'magic ingredient' so that they are apparently all better than each other! Buy from a company that has a three-tier pricing system, not a four-tier system. The tiers are (a) cheap, (b) medium, (c) expensive, (d) silly.
Cable Controversy
I love the cable forum. Discussions about cable can really generate sparks among the mature audiophiles. Regarding cable design: Other than the basics of resistance, impedance, and conductance, it seems that there is very little firm ground upon which one can form convincing conclusions. Witness the bewildering array of cable designs, incoporating network boxes, magnets, biased shields, liquid conductors, solid core, braided strands, exotic metals, air dialectrics, to name but a few. In contrast: Regarding balanced cables, at least one experienced poster and equipment designer has stated here that all balanced cables perform identically, once a few basic design parameters are met. I ask for the voices of experience and sanity to offer their theories and experience on the topic of cable design and performance. Thanks in advance.