As with everything in audio, ALL the components in a system make a difference.
I consider cables of any type, a passive component that posses attributes of Conductivity, Resistance, Capacitance and Inductance, all of which effects the sound and dynamics of a system
When I installed the Silver Solid's between the phono stage and the amplifier there was a distinct improvement in audio quality.
This tells me that both upstream and downstream components were all performing well above the capability of my old cables.
But if you don't find they perfrom to your expectations, it might not be the Silver Solids at fault!
Please, let me explain with a short story...
My phono stage is from Cambridge audio - a modestly priced MM/MC unit that came with a terrible wal-wart power supply.
I replaced that power supply with a custom built unit with extremley good power cables into and out of the unit. This made a considerable difference in the performance of that phono stage.
If I had not made these upgrades, then the improvement the Silver Solids made would have been less impressive, since the phono stage would not have been performing as good as it does now.
So, my point is - if ANY new "component" does not peform up to your expectations - it may not be that component, it may be one of the others in your system.
Having said all that I believe that the performance of the Silver Solids is extremely good and would be at home in systems many times the price of my modest setup.
I have no doubt that there are cables that can compete with the Silver Solids, but none of them would be priced at $150 for a 1 meter pair!
I'm a big fan of "Bang for the Buck" and I rate the Silver Solids one of the best values in audio components on the market today.
I just wish I could have found them sooner!