After being a so called audiophile for 10 years and owning different equipment i cant see buying expensive cables anymore. If you have a good digital or vinyl front end then cables have less of an impact IMO. If you have a bad front end then the cables will either mask or enhance that sound, thats why some people hear such dramatic differences. Just like the post above says its really the spec of the cable that matters most, if you listen to 2 cables that have similar spec they will have similar sonic signatures. I dont care if its a 1k cable vs a $200 one. I think money is better spent on the front end because thats where your signal starts if you have distortion there it doesnt magically disappear going down the chain. The amp and speakers would be the next thing i would upgrade. After trying so much equipment what it comes down to is system synergy. The cables will make only subtle changes when you have a good front end and your preamp/amp and speakers have that synergy going on. My cables are about 8% of my system cost. All diy cables except the power cables which i use pangea which cost $40 each. I got off the cable gravy train 3 years ago after doing some blind listening test with different cables. Me and my friends were all over the board when it came to hearing any major differences. Not listening to the cables and coming back the next day yielded different result. I think its a psycoacoustic effect that our ears get trained to a certain type of cable sound. What sounded a little flat one day didnt sound the same way the next. This is just my opinion after owning so much gear. What matters most is getting the sound you like if that means expensive cable than kudos to you. I just think money is better spent elsewhere.
Cable Costs Relative to System
Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects and cables and another 10% in Power Cables (Shunyata Hydra included). That's $13,000 worth of wire. I'm starting to question whether it might be more effective to put some of this budget into acitve components. It would take forever to listen to all possible combinations, but would like to hear others experiences with relatively high end systems and cable selection. It would seem to me that the point of diminishing returns would be reached sooner with cables than with speakers and amps. Do most of you follow the 10% "rule" for cabling? How do PCs fit into this rule? Are there any super bargain cables capable of keeping up with highly resolving electronics?