Cables that cost more than the speakers?

Yes. The notion of a chain being only as strong as its weakest link does not really apply to audio systems, in my experience. Because it seems that you can always improve the sound of the system by strengthening ANY of the key links, even the strongest one. ----dan

Metaphysics, I too found that particular issue of Absolute Sound very bizarre. Then I realised my speaker cables cost mearly as much as my speakers too, the difference being I bought the cables on eBay for 10% of what I paid for the speakers. And I would not like to go back to a lesser cable.

Another question: Would most of you agree that better performance would likely be had in an otherwise identical system with ~$17,000 speakers and ~$3,000 cable rather than $8000 speaker and $12,000 cable. I know it always depends on the specific system but who would start out with the latter configuration?

I don't think you can use any formulas because the retail cost of cable has little to do with what it costs to make and almost nothing to do with how "good" it is or how it sounds. They charge simply what the market will bear or what they can get away with. In addition, cable is so highly system dependent that, in any particular system, it is easy to see how a $400 cable can clearly outperform a $2000 cable. Given the above, I don't see how super expensive cables are almost ever worth it. Even when one finds one which performs well, there is probably another which is significantly cheaper that will perform just as well.

you have to consider that new cables are typically discounted to a much higher degree than new speakers. i am guilty of having transparent opus mm speaker cable ($23,500 list) and wilson watt/puppy 6 ($20,000 list). but i got full list trade-in ($9800) on my ref.xl ss speaker cable i had purchased for $3000 and a discount from there. so what i really paid for the cable was far less than the speakers. btw, the cables were more than worth the money for the performance improvement. it was more performance improvement than any electronics i have upgraded.

i believe you have look at performance improvement for the dollars not what you are spending it on. if the result doesn't justify the investment then don't do it. but don't get hung up on what component you are spending the dollars on.