How much money do you want to waste?

Craig (Garfish, that is), re: mid-range wires. My experience is similar to yours regarding price/performance ratios with "mega" brands. Nordost is a good example: blue-heaven, spm, I have found to be good performers.

On the other hand, Valhalla easily outperforms all their other cables -- and most bank accounts. I heard a small Micromega (minium?) system sing beautifully with Valhalla cables... and no, the system was NOT (IMO) a giant killer by any stretch of the imagination, but euphonic all the same!

Re: cables. I have interacted with cable manufacturers in the past, so I can report the following regarding hi-end cables (audio, or otherwise). Some are standard industrial designs with proprietary matls made to (our well-known brand's) order by one of the large cable producers. Some are more complicated proprietary designs with asymmetric geometries and VERY expensive even in large lengths, again made to order.

Pricing: replacement cost is a factor ofcourse. BUT, a cable geometry that "performs" like $1000 will be invariably priced 900-1100 regardless of production cost. This is the norm, so many exceptions (super kits, smaller audio specialists, even known brands, etc) exist ofcourse and confirm the rule IMO.

DIY cables have been a solution for many of us who are handy -- unfortunately, I'm not handy enough...

Verdict: many (most? all?) giga$ cables perform well. On mega resolution systems. Prices are outrageous; vs. electronics, IMO, the next outrageous price/performance link: no comparison. Electronics are cheapo by comparison.

It's a vicious circle: we have components that can "play" only if they're connected by wire.. what a conundrum!

Pawlup $ spent has nothing to do with sound means you can spend 25K and have a system that sounds better than one that costs 75K which might consist of overpriced Krell-Wilson Speaker and Nordost cable.The point I am trying to make is that you can get a cable for 300.00 that sounds as good as a 3K cable.
The problem is that to many people buy for ego and prestige.
Let your ears make the choice regarless of price.
Sorry my 25K retail system is in Canadian Dollars.Thats about 15K US bought everything on the used market so I have about 7K US invested.
And yes Belden is belden.Nost MFGS stick it inside of a fat tube then they put a fancy jacket on it.Total cost about 2/3 bucks a foot and charge 150.00 a foot for it.Cut it open and you will be sick to find out whats in it/Stuff like belden 19634 in a fancy wrap sold at 449.00 for a 6
foot power cord.Not that there is anything wrong with the Belden just how bad you got screwed.The stuff is less than 1.00 a foot in Bulk.
Do you have the guts to cut in and look at whats inside of your 1500.00cable .You would get the I just got rapped feeeling.

I invite anyone who can expose the imposters who mainly badge stock wire to do so, and support those companies with proprietary technology like Acoustic Zen, Harmonic Technology, Synergistic Research or whatever brand anyone might like to mention.

Let's get something straight here: having worked with test and measurement equipment for 10 years, I can assure you that differences in cables CAN (easily) be measured! Take a variable frequency LCR bridge and measure at 20Hz and 20KHz. Also, just recently someone posted a repeatably measurable difference with a sound meter. You can argue that the measured differences shouldn't have any effect if you'd like, but MY ears say otherwise.

The finest drivers typically use aluminum wire in their voice coils. This wire is small and there is a lot of it. Wire used in the voice coil is solid and sometimes rectangular to pack the most volumn into the available space. The voice coil is in series with the speaker cable. If cheapo wire has an effect there should be a substantial signal degradation from the considerable amount of aluminum voice coil wire. Any higher quality wire in series with it would be wasted (if there were such a thing).

Additionally, there is relatively speaking, substantial inductance (compared to any conceivable speaker wire geometry) in the voice coil/motor assembly of the speaker.

And so, my point is that if you like the sound of your speakers then you like the sound of solid aluminum wire. For those who care, solid aluminum wire is even cheaper than cheap copper zip cord.

If you have electrostatic speakers, well, I suppose you could use this argument to explain why they are inherently better.