My perception of the impedance issues which have been brought up seems at least partially corollary...
Source components have unique reactive impedance characteristics comprised of a resistive component, an inductive component, a capacitive component. Terminating (load) components also have these characteristics although they typically don't match the source component's reactive signature. Then add the connecting cables' complex impedance (which is yet again different from source & load reactive component) into this complex impedance network. The source impedance doesn't match the load impedance, & the transmission line impedance matches neither.
These mismatches are a guaranteed formula for signal-reflections which result in standing waves. Propagation delay of various frequencies within the bandpass differs significantly. The result is a smearing of the signal throughout the transmission process of simply coupling a waveform from one box of components to the next box.
Considering the radically varying complex-impedance network of everyone's own unique combination of audio componentry & interconnecting cables, it's not too hard to understand why (obvious differences aside) no two rigs sound quite alike, and why a cable moved from one system to another system can sound so very different.
Source components have unique reactive impedance characteristics comprised of a resistive component, an inductive component, a capacitive component. Terminating (load) components also have these characteristics although they typically don't match the source component's reactive signature. Then add the connecting cables' complex impedance (which is yet again different from source & load reactive component) into this complex impedance network. The source impedance doesn't match the load impedance, & the transmission line impedance matches neither.
These mismatches are a guaranteed formula for signal-reflections which result in standing waves. Propagation delay of various frequencies within the bandpass differs significantly. The result is a smearing of the signal throughout the transmission process of simply coupling a waveform from one box of components to the next box.
Considering the radically varying complex-impedance network of everyone's own unique combination of audio componentry & interconnecting cables, it's not too hard to understand why (obvious differences aside) no two rigs sound quite alike, and why a cable moved from one system to another system can sound so very different.