For sure the amount of difference you hear also depends on your expectations and your definition of small/big difference. Assuming your system is capable of good level of detail, then different cables should add their specific sound signature. I have 4 pairs of cables and I could never make a mistake which one is on duty. Friends also usually notice if I have changed cables just by listening to the system and not being aware of the change.
Comparing Speaker Cables
I have accumulated several pairs of speaker cables that I have never tried to do careful A/B comparisons of because the time it takes to swap them is longer than my audio memory. But my speakers are bi-wired and it occurred to me that I could hook two different cables up and then only swap them at the amp which would be much faster. Is there any sonic downside to having a pair of unconnected cables hanging off one of the sets of inputs while the second set is connected to the amp?