Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

This is a useful discussion for someone who is unhappy with their system's sound or who has been debating spending a boatload on cables.

'Tis an ancient debate and will never be settled in the court of critical listening although I think it gas in the court of science. For myself, I believe very strongly in both sides. ;^)
I use 12 g Auvio speaker wire. It's 50% bare copper and 50% silver coated. I haven't compared it with more expensive cable; but other's have measured its resistance against 10 other cables and it came in second to Canare 411. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?14134-When-12-Gauge-Wire-is-not-12-Gauge!
I've compared it to 14 g and basic 12 g. Not a huge difference; but at 10 ft. length, I like the Auvio better. Tried bi-wiring. I Think I may gave heard a slight difference in non-blind comparison. I left the speakers bi-wired because it couldn't hurt.

ICs are a different story. I feel one MUST replace the generic RCA ICs that come with most components, but I've achieved a sound that I like without spending a boatload. I recently replaced a pair of 1 1/2 meter AQ AlphaSnakes with a pair of 1 meter WireWorld Luna 7s, their cheapest at $40, on my Oppo BDP-95. There was a change in tonality, the WW being a little brighter and seeming to have better detail. I like that; but there are some passages where it is too bright for me. I'll live with that because these cables accomplished something I could not, no matter how I positioned my Canton Ergo 1002DCs. Not only did they widen the already wide soundstage and provide more space between the musicians, they actually elevated the stage from the level of my navel to that of my ears. I was not expecting that! I had a friend listen, literally blindfolded, as I switched the ICs back and forth - or not. He heard the same thing and was able to pick out the WWs 4 of 5 times. The WireWorld cables have a unique physical design, which is why I chose them. Was that the cause of the difference, or is it just that they are 1/2 meter shorter?  I don't know, but I'm planning on tying their Solstice or Oasis between my phono-pre and preamp. Maybe I'll keep them in the freezer for a week before I connect them. Nah. You can't believe everything you read. ;^)

uberwaltz,

Thanks for my new word of the day: Luddite
As to the subject at hand, I just spent $110 on a cable, the IC that goes from my phonostage to my pre-amp. I spent this exorbitant amount because I tried a $65 IC form the same company (WireWorld) that truly bested an AQ Evergreen IMHO, which favors detail rather than warmth. The $65 cable impact is proven beyond my doubt by two things. A blindfolded prisoner being able to correctly call it out, and the recent purchase of an SHM-SACD that is too bright.  I can use the Evergreen to calm it down. So maybe it was worth it.

As for the $110, not so much. Back to being cheap, but with more certainty.

"One of the weakest links that many audiophiles overlook is the AC power source. Oh, yes, audiophiles love their sexy high-end power cables and AC power conditioners, and salespeople love selling these products, but wouldn’t it make more sense to eliminate a problem rather than spending money to compensate for it?
Since it affects your entire system, upgrading the AC power source that feeds your system may be one of the most impactful upgrades you can make. But first, take my advice: before you spend big money to upgrade power cables or install a fancy AC power conditioner or regenerator, install dedicated AC lines and a low-resistance ground. I’ll be writing about this topic in a forthcoming blog, but for now, let me say that you can hire a licensed electrical contractor to install dedicated AC lines in your home for less money than many audiophiles spend on a single high-end power cable.
Don’t Fall for Attractive Distortions
When I consult for friends and customers who complain that their audio system is either too hard, harsh, and fatiguing, or too soft, laid back, and veiled, the solution in nearly every case is to improve the quality of their source components and to upgrade their AC power source. Most of these audiophiles had followed the advice of salespeople and bought products that either filtered, equalized, veiled, or brought a false liveliness to their systems rather than resolving the cause of their actual problems.
Have you heard the children’s song about the old lady who swallowed a fly? She swallowed a spider to catch the fly, a bird to catch the spider, and a cat to catch the bird. Much in the same way, many audiophiles buy one product after another in hopes that the next one will eradicate the source(s) of trouble and finally make their system sound musical and balanced.
Some salespeople love when audiophiles purchase aftermarket products to fix flaws in their systems because they know they’ve found customers they can manipulate into spending more and more money. A whole genre of products in the audiophile industry is engineered for just this purpose. I’ll make my point as simply as possible by dividing these purposely colored products into two categories: “more than” or “less than.” I use these terms because these products either have more or less bass, treble, and midrange so they can be used like an equalizer. Or they’re veiled to mask fatiguing sounds, pumped up to give more life to a system that’s too laid back, or have some other form of “attractive distortion” that enhances the audio illusion, such as an unnaturally spacious image.
The problem with any cable or component that is more or less than neutral is that most of the time the engineer that designed it had to sacrifice time, tune, and/or harmonic coherency to get the attractive distortion. When any one of these is sacrificed, it can never be regained later in the system."

Excerpted from: https://mojoaudiofiles.wordpress.com/find-the-weak-links-in-your-audio-system/

My equipment is plugged into a dedicated circuit wired with 12G solid copper. My small town has its own power company, I can hear the difference between some of the crap ICs that came with certain equipment and some $25 AQ Towers. Not so much between the Towers and some $110 WireWorlds. This may be because my power is good or my system not so much; but it sounds real good to me. Phono cables are another story. I certainly hear differences. Not huge; but worth a reasonable investment.

Last week I made a power cord from 14G solid copper (12 is too stiff). I didn't make an audible difference (although I haven't burned it in) and since it's as close to the circuit cable as practical I don't think any other power cable can improve on what comes out of the wall.

I may try some Blue Jeans speaker cable. What do you think would sound better, $20 Belden 10g or Canare 4S11 bi-wired for $30?