First of all, we are not listening to a cable, we are listening to a system, our system, which most people here know the sound of intimately.
Here's a test: How about you record your system playing real music at say 1 meter using "perfect" microphones direct into a "perfect" ADC. Switch cables and repeat. This is a thought experiment so I can say "perfect".
Compare the two digital files to see if there are any differences. Possibly incorporate AI "deep learning" to discover over time what that difference sounds like.
Just sayin'.
Regards,
barts