HAVE CABLES EVER TAKEN YOUR SYSTEM FROM SOUNDING JUST OK TO SOUNDING GREAT? Experiences ?

Improvement, yes, but nothing extreme. Strange use of periods. 

I believe in cable quality making a difference, but no, none has made that kind of impact for me. 

I perceive a difference in cables, but it is subtle. Certainly not dramatic

@roxy54 I’m extremely informal on these threads. Bad habit. 

@kerrybh can get that last bit of performance you are seeking. Sometimes it also depends on what cable you are coming from. Is one was a really and match then the jump can be bigger. 

Nothing dramatic just improvement. Of course I have never gone from zip cord to a really high end cable. Modest improvements over time.

Yes, especially with my reference system.  Sound stage, depth and overall clarity greatly improved on my test tracks/albums. 

Typically the right interconnect or cable will have make a noticeable and important difference. But once in a while it can make a huge difference. I remember my first digital cable... which I was absolutely sure could not possibly affect the sound. I plugged in the high end aftermarket interconnect between my transport and DAC... late 80’s. My jaw dropped... literally. It was as if someone had taken the components out and brought in new ones of much higher sound quality. The system went from thin and tinny to robust with a midrange and much better bass. I was just shocked, completely changed the system.

Another time probably in the 90’s I had ribbon speakers and all solid state gear... not contemporary top of the line... but a Threshold S500 amp, T2 Threshold preamp. I got Transparent speaker cables. The system sounded terrible. So much treble...and again thin... without midrange. I paid a lot for the Transparent. I got a set of Cardas Gold Reference speaker cables... probably the warmest thing on the market. OMG, suddenly it sounded like music, there was a midrange! good bass. The combination of ribbon speakers and that old solid state stuff with really transparent interconnects was just a bad combo. The Cardas balanced the sound out. 

Funny, I now run virtually all Transparent cables and interconnects... because my components sound like they should... full bodied and musical, natural with great bass... I don’t want anything in the way. That is exactly what Transparent are.

Cables to add to the sound quality they take away.  So new cables make a great improvement, it is a statement about the horrible quality of the previous cables.

Jerry

I would say that the specific difference that I notice most usually is improved focus.

Small but significant improvements; enough not to want to revert to the existing ones.

i am in general agreement that cable changes tend to be more subtle than major component changes as to sonic effect.  However, if you went from bad cable or cables that were inappropriate for your system and taste to something that is better suited to you the difference can be quite dramatic.  Even if a cable is well regarded and works well in other people's system, it can be well off from what is best for YOU.  For example, if you prefer/need a warm sounding speaker cable, the top end Nordost cable will NOT be for you and if you switched to something like Audio Note Lexus cable, the difference will be very substantial and favorable.

When I first started 6 years ago with my first Tube Amp from Raven Audio , Dave Thomson told me one thing you will never stop looking for more detail out of your music ..And he told me about Streaming and told me you will stop using your CD’s .He was correct....So my first test was computer in another room and needed 16’ cable to run To DAC... I purchased a Staples 35 dollar cable and said wow a lot of unusual detail never heard would not say quality...So Best Buys and Audioquest Cables I started with 400 dollar cable what a difference .. Now I had no idea at this time I would be buying a 1700 dollar cable at end to make my ears happy from a USB cable ...I know the next was a Coffee Audioquest and much more quality and detail coming from the speakers ..So decided to try the Audioquest Carbon and just a little more detail and just touch more quality to my hearing that I would keep the Carbon over the Coffee Cable...But to someone else and their hearing it could be reversed..But never in beginning would I have thought 1700 for a cable ..But sound of music is why we are in this hobby and happy ears makes you smile when You hear old songs that you listened to for years and never heard instruments or detail ever before in the  song...

Not dramatic. Subtle differences if any. I buy cables based on need - length, type of connection, build quality, reputation, reasonable price... not to change the sound of my system.  

Confirmation bias is real.  I remember a specific instance where a while back I purchased an inexpensive cable to try and then bought a much more spendy cable that was one of the "it" cables.  I put it in the system, and was able to easily switch back and forth between the less expensive cable in near real time. I thought the new cable was sounding better than the other and was quite pleased with myself. Some time later, I repeated the listening test and could not detect any significant difference between the two cables.

Which isn't to say that I don't think cables impact sound, other instances have shown that they clearly can, but my experience is more that cheap cables can degrade sound, not that expensive cables magically make your system much better.

...only when the prior set of cables was really bad, like cheaply made lamp cord, did I notice a change from something okay to something great. 

I have not heard any differences in any cables I ever tried. Based on my experience and demonstrated experimentation, not preconceived notions, I don't think cables make any difference.

Marginal compared to other changes. I'm still committed to my decent cables (DAC to Preamp, Preamp to Amp) but in my system, I do not hear much difference from power cables. Will likely sell the unwieldy ones off.