Do you consider cables to be a "component" of your system?

Yes, unfortunately.  I didn’t want to spend significant $ on cables but when one reaches a level of transparency it’s makes an obvious difference.
 

I acknowledge that different cables sound different. And that there are better cable designs for different jobs, like turntable interconnects. But I don’t sweat them like I do my speakers, first and foremost, or my other components. So yes, they are part of the system, but not the part where I invest a lot of time or money. I do think it’s possible that once you have a great team of electronic and speakers, they can add the last polish on the sound. You don’t use them to get there in the first place.

There must be something wrong with me,but to my way of thinking its just a no brainer,how can the quality of and fashion in which the cables that are  interconnecting the different components or send the signal out to your speakers not be important? So then by that rationale it must also not be important to use the best materials and manufacturing methods in the building of the individual components themselves right? 

@1971gto455ho 

There is a place to put photos of your system and identify your system components under your UserID.

@bikeboy52 

”its just a no brainer“

Congratulations, your thought process about the importance of cables is exactly the outcome desired by the marketing departments of audio cable manufacturers.