The Physics of Electricity

Some attribute it to skin effect,
some say its conductivity of the material (therefore the ned for 7N copper or silver),
some say it's the way the strands and the dielectric minimizes capacitance and shield RF.

I once entered into a discussion on this topic with a well-respected gentleman in the high tech field who supposedly invented the piezoelectric print head and has 90+ patents under his belt.
He started the topic yet soon afterwards he tore me an asshole and that evening went downhill real fast.

Voodoo or not, keep an open mind. Start with reasonably priced stuff and let *your* ears be the judge.

No. No one can explain it. Perhaps it is all in the mind.

Nearly everyone would like to think he or she has made the best choices, if not, certainly the most cost effective ones. The more one pays for something, the higher its perceived value. Better cables should have shielding from RFI. This likely costs more than unshielded cables. Other cables will vary in capacitance and impedance based on length, materials, configuration etc (more expensive materials and production costs will increase the cost of a cable). Signal conveyance can also be affected by the way a particualr cable is insulated as wellas by the gauge of the conductor and how it is twisted. The variations in capacitance and impedance will slightly change the sound, for better, or for worse, in someone's own opinion. If they paid alot for the cable, it would likely sound better than if they paid less. If they like the looks of a particular cable, it likely also sounds better too. Just my opinion on this one. Try starting with a basic cable within your budget, and then consider what you might be looking for (detail? bass definition? imaging?) and try to tweek you system accordingly before auditioning different cables. Happy Listening,