Cable differences are more subtle than speaker and cartridge difference....usually a lot more subtle. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist, but they are more difficult to recognize.
One of the issues with blind testing is the duration of the sound sampling....it’s usually only a few minutes per, which seems readily apparent that it isn’t sufficient time to decipher minor differences. If the system doesn’t have very high resolution, and/or is a system you’re not extremely familiar with, that adds another element that makes it more difficult to decipher minor differences. Add the element of pressure to hear a difference, and it’s simply not a good situation to determine subtle sound differences. Just a few of the many reasons I don’t put much credence in blind testing. It’s far better to listen for days and weeks on your own high res system with music and a room you know well.
@divertiti - This is priceless!
In other news, blind people are convinced everyone else is just making stuff up and there’s surely no such thing as sight.