Maybe it's not so much what the wires themselves "do", but what the components connected to the wires make them "do".
The Physics of Electricity
Can anyone explain clearly in either common parlance or technical terms the difference between a $1,000.00 cable and/or speaker wire versus a $20.00 (or so) one? What does wire "do" in an expensive cable/wire that an inexpensive cable/wire does not? Does it conduct more or "better" electricity?