As usual, lots of praise for the anti-cables. I've tried tons of cables at all price levels over the years. The anti-cables are perhaps the value king of cables, just be aware they they are not shielded. If you live in a high RFI, EMI environment they may not be best choice. This is especially true with tube equipment and speaker cable!
Beyond that cables are system dependent, any advice given may or may not work for you. I use Cardas Golden Reference throughout my system. I find them to be the chameleons of the cable industry, they don't stand out in any particular sonic category. This chameleon-like character makes them good cables to build around. Unfortunately, they are going to be around 1k in your length.
As for snake oil, don't believe that one until you try for yourself. Reference quality cables can make a difference, the problem with cables is the diminishing returns ratio is steep.