Has Anyone Criticized The Choice Of Your Cables?

I've never been criticized for anything in my system because:
A. Most of my friends don't know anything about hi-end audio equipment -- all they know is my system is the "best stereo I EVER heard!"
B. And/or, "It's worth what?!@*"

There WAS this one exception: I have a 'theater' friend, of a certain 'persuasion' who is a true opera and musical comedy maven (what else?) He actually prides himself on his bitchy and disdainful sense of humor -- which I must admit is quick, and often drop dead funny ;-) Anyway, back in oh, must've been around the late seventies, he dropped by one day, and I had a pair of 3/4" dia. by 15' long Straightwire Maestro II speaker cables (I'd just got) stretched out together full-length across the living room carpet.

They have that beautiful silver colored woven shield under a clear jacket, if you've not seen them . . . Anyway, my friend Zale, who needs help changing a light bulb, immediately spied the cables, and starting to chuckle disapprovingly, he says, "What the hell are those?!" I replied, completely matter-of-factly, "Those are my new speaker cables."

At which point, he broke out laughing, so hard, I only barely managed to hear him say, "Oh! I thought you were sending electricity to Poland!"
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What's good about OEM PC's? Nothing!
Why? Two words:
Underwriter's Laboratory

Now you know.

You should all be glad most manufacturers don't waste your money (and their own) by providing anything more than the minimum necessary to meet UL rules.

Don't get me wrong. OEM PC's will work - barely! Their conductor size (AWG) will be the minimum required by the power consumption of the equipment they come with. And if that equipment is digital and radiates RFI? then the cable will also be a shielded cable. EXCEPT (as required by UL) the shield will be connected to the ground conductor at both ends - a guaranteed hum antenna!
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