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

One thing that has changed is knowledge about the effects of noise injection.  Some cables in some places will affect that more than others, tho the real solution is to use better isolation techniques.

The effects of speaker cables on complex loads has indeed not changed in the last 20 years, tho many don't understand it.

In either case there is no reason at all to throw $5k at it - which was the point made by the OP.

I swore I wasn’t going to go down the rabbit hole-
I have a main system with what are probably regarded as expensive cables.
But I am still in the process of assembling a vintage system in another room, based on a pair of the original Quad ESLs that I bought in in 1973 and recently had restored. I decided to try and stay within the period- when I used them beginning in 1973, it was zip cord. So, I bought some 12 gauge all copper stranded wire in bulk. The system sounded fine--I hadn’t heard these speakers in years, and had never used them with the Quad II amps, which were also recently restored and re-glassed with GEC KT 66s, among other recherché tubes.
I asked a friend on another forum who had far more recent experience with the speaker than me what he used. It was Canare 4S11, another DIY cheapie that I bought online. The Canare sounded "less rough" to my ears. I suppose I could try the Duelund that everyone has been raving about lately, or a few other low cost cables, but the point is, even among the bargain DIY stuff, there are differences. The terminations make differences too--I used to use bare wire. I’m now terminating with a relatively inexpensive Cardas banana, which I’m sure changes the sound in some way.
To say that cables make no difference is no different than saying "X" brand cable is "the best." There are so many variables that make up a system, and so many differences in what people hear (or want to hear) that it is impossible to make any broad generalizations. I suspect a lot of cable makers have theories about why their cables sound the way they do, but the literature is pretty empty- the hyperbole is far stronger, which makes people predictably skeptical, particularly because a lot of this stuff has reached crazy pricing.
This debate will not be resolved: I think you try what works in your system, and explore within the limits of your interest and pocketbook. The folks who have replaced their fancy audiophile cable with things like the WE or Duelund seem to have gone counter-market and should probably be applauded for doing so. (The longer I do this, the more I respect the capable DIY’er.)
A shout out to @nonoise for some very sensible comments in the audiophile fuse thread- something to which I never really paid attention, but nonoise and others on that thread had some rational explanations about the metallurgy involved; while I’m not going to rush out and buy a box full of fancy fuses, there was value in that thread to me.

When it comes to high-end audio, I am a newb. But not so with technology.

I'm old enough to have been proven wrong more times than I can remember, when I was sure that I was right. It reminds me not to think too highly of myself, as it'll just be a longer fall...

Yet, it is my passionate belief that most of what's written about very expensive cables, interconnects, etc. is B.S.

I find it very hard to believe that we could tell the difference between the gold-standard of these, and what most of us could construct ourselves - at very reasonable cost.

I strongly suspect that it's far more psychological, that the listener wants to believe that the money spent was not wasted. And falling victim to crowd-think.

If a terrorist gave me three options to determine if I live or die; walk across an unmarked minefield, Russian-roulette, or I can live if a group of audiophiles cannot prove in a double-blind test that fuses have polarity (and they can hear it!), I'd take the latter every time.

But, because so many of you swear by it, I'll keep an open enough mind to try for myself someday - just in case.  :)
Bruce.

Hi Bruce. Welcome to Audiogon!

Kudos for your attitude. No one can doubt your intelligence and cognitive skills after reading that post.

However, there are three "tells" in your post. "hi-end audio vs technology", "psychological", "double-blind test". These words are the sword and shield of the ardent deniers OF THE POSSIBILITY for different technologies, design choices, materials, and quality construction of cables to actually audibly affect sound quality.

That’s fine as long as it does not become a blindfold (pun intended) to trying such products with an open mind and making your own informed decision before allowing natural and healthy skepticism (re: seemingly price-disproportionate products that, unfortunately, often espouse unrealistic claims of scale and impact) rob you of the opportunity to actually try and then decide through experience. With the 30day+ unconditional money back guarantees from cable manufacturers these days, there is simply no reason to be satisfied with driving from the back seat in the dark.

If you find after earnestly completing the above steps that better cables do not provide sufficient value for your situation, then Godspeed to you my friend.

Again, welcome to Audiogon and thanks for your post. :)

Dave

Thank you for the welcome and very kind words Dave.

I also appreciate how you took the time to explain a few points, as one who wants to help others share his joy with this hobby.

This is rather effective at making me want to try it, in spite of my convictions.

Thanks Dave.
Bruce.