DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

Oxygen free copper cable is very difficult to better. In fact any copper cable is difficult to beat.

Solid core, silver plated, directionality all seem to make no difference to me. In fact I recall a demonstration by QED at a Hi-Fi show in London where they attempted to reveal the differences between < £1, £5 and £25 per metre cable through a well respected Arcam system. Almost everyone agreed that the only sonic difference heard was between the bell wire and the £5 (Silver Anniversary) cable.

It was difficult to be sure that the £25 cable wasn't making things worse as it certainly didn't make them better. 

It's worth bearing in mind that a good hypnotist could have easily had most of us believing that the bell wire was superior to the £25 cable AND vice versa.

Audiophiles are not particularly known for their resistance to suggestibility. That usually only comes, if it ever comes, from bitter experiences after many years. 

It's also a good rule of thumb that if something isn't immediately and obviously better, it ain't. You should never ever have to strain to hear improvements. Its a crime against nature.

Good points. Unfortunately they only reinforce my position that demos, tests, shoot-outs, blind tests, etc. are unreliable especially if the results are NEGATIVE. And it doesn’t matter if the tests/demos/shoot-outs are fast, slow, over the course of hours or days, or whatever. They are still unreliable. Otherwise any group of all thumbs hearing challenged pseudo skeptics would be the arbiters of sound, which they actually aren’t. And while it’s a shame you personally aren’t able to distinguish certain differences in wire, direction, etc. those results should not be extrapolated to generalize about anyone else.

+1 prof! Thank you again for your cogent thoughtful response!

You forgot to add, “But I have nothing cogent or thoughtful to say, myself.”

There you go, again.