I agree with several posters here on many of the basics. I do believe that a cable’s net effect will be system dependent. Maybe it’s a given, but first and foremost, your system has to have the resolution to reveal subtle details and differences.
Or say your system has a certain brightness to it (maybe you’re aware of it or maybe not, maybe you like that brightness or maybe you don’t) the cables impact on the sound may be a positive one or not, but not necessarily because it’s a bad cable. It’s just a bad fit with your particular set-up.
And just because you had an eargasm with your new interconnects, not everyone else will have a similar response.
A hard lesson ($) for me has been learning that reading about a particular component or tweak and then hearing it, at home in my system, are two really different things. We can't help but be affected sometimes by the enthusiasm of our compatriots. Also in that vein, and I think this is important, sometimes a change will just sound different. Not necessarily better, but different and only time and careful listening will reveal if something is really better.
I bought an entry level DAC some years back because I wanted to find out for myself if they really made such a huge difference and whether I should I be exploring that option. One thing I learned was that the sound was slightly different using the player’s DAC vs the outboard DAC, but not necessarily always better. Outboard DAC = bigger soundstage; disc player = better bass. Wasn’t really counting on that result, because I anticipated that the DAC would be waaaay better. But I’m always learning something in this hobby. That’s part of what makes it fun.
A lesson for me on cables came when some time ago my system developed a persistent noise and in the course of trying to isolate the cause I tried swapping out cables. Well the cable wasn’t the problem, but the noise changed with each cable I tried. Even more surprising, the most quiet of all was a pair of RCAs that were originally part of the home theater set-up I inherited with the house. They were obviously made by the installation tech on site because there were no markings on them at all and were of slightly unequal length. Never really tested them for sound quality, but very clearly quieter than my AQ, Morrow and Kimber ICs. Wasn’t really expecting that either.
Finally, I was definitely a cable skeptic for a long time. Cheap cables, bad? Yeah sure. Name brand cables better? Probably. Alter the character of your system? Wake up your speakers? Reveal some new musical truth? I sure didn’t think so. Pay hundreds of $$$ for an IC or PC? No way Jose.
Well, I’m definitely in the other camp now, even though I have never spent more than a couple of hundred bucks on a cable. I have come to appreciate the positive difference good cables can make. But I had to arrive at that place on my own, over time. Everything DOES matter and that includes the wires.
My suggestion here Audiomaze, is to start slow and experiment with just one; either ICs or PCs or speaker wire. Don’t really know what your system is like, but if you’re like most folks here and have thousands of dollars invested in carefully selected equipment, you will definitely hear the impact of a $100-$250 cable in your set-up over more generic cables. Pricier gear will reveal more, with better ($$) cables. I have heard the number of 10% to 15% bandied about. That might be a useful guideline for you. $1000 amp? Start with an IC at $100/$150. $3000 amp? Try a $300 cable and go from there depending on what you hear.
Everyone here will have their favorites. I favor the journey of discovery for what it reveals about your system and for what you learn along the way.
