Is it all in my head??

Great post MrD! I especially like the way you described how  you settled on horns. I am not a horn person as my journey and preferences took me in another direction.

I would ignore the naysayers (and they are not all created equal) but sometimes the information they provide is presented as fact and may influence other enthusiasts perhaps discouraging them from trying new cables and products. 

Thank you guys. " But sometimes the information they provide is presented as fact ". Yes, they present it, but they are not proving it. They are the ones looking for proof, for reasoning, for scientific data, as to why we are claiming sonic differences. Fact ! I know what my ears / brain tell me. Lizzy, Geoff, myself and others, will not be fooled into the " could I be imagining it " camp. Which is a point I made. Ignore them, because, they will continue with their pursuit. They question our hearing ? How about our taste buds. Vodka ( my go to ), each brand having a distinct taste. Is this, the fact I can taste the differences between Absolute, Grey Goose, Tito's, Smirnoff, etc. real, or my imagination. Now, in reality, I can probably be fooled into mistaking 1 brand for another. Sight, smell, taste, touch, hear. Hearing, is definitely my strongest and most developed sense. Enjoy ! MrD.

Happy New Year All

Normally I wouldn't knock a manufacture but since one keeps being mentioned as being good I have to disagree .
Pangea did not sound good to myself or a friend ( who rebuilds guitar tube amps ) , that includes both the power cords
( we tried both 14 and 9 gauge ) and the power outlets .
Pangea has 3 grades 
We did an experiment with 4 different outlet manufactures  and
the Pangea lowest grade  came in 3rd .
So like all equipment and cables/interconnects what might work for some doesn't work for all . 

At this point, I'm ambivalent about cables and power cords.  I keep hoping to hear a change in my system if I swap cables or power cords, but I'm never quite sure I hear anything different in the sound.  I don't have an inexpensive system, and have cables and power cords from Purist Audio, Shunyata, Tara Labs, and at least three other companies.   But, unfortunately, I really never hear a difference.  Yet, I persist in trying things in hopes that I may hear something different and, to that end, just ordered balanced XLR cables to connect the pre-amp and amp in hopes I might hear a change.  

To your question - if you hear a difference, even if it is because of confirmation bias - does that matter?  Apparently, you think something has changed.  If it makes the music you're listening to "better" in some way - enjoy the difference.

I wonder why people with an opposing opinions are quickly labeled as trolls. Also, people who hear a "big difference" in the sound of cables, always ignore simple tests when it comes to choosing cable a from b. Any test that supports hearing the difference in sound, becomes invalid because it's a test.