why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

It amazes me how such a useless and worthless premise can go on and on, seemingly almost forever.

Someone please define "expensive cable" so I know what we're discussing here.

"...we always forget recording quality in these arguments. [ ] Cables are part of it but recording is too. [ ] Just enjoy your system. I did today just like college. [ ] Music is a joy. Enjoy it. Expensive or cheap cables tap your feet bob your head and zone out!"

Great reminder on 11/18 from Calvinj about what's really important in all this audiophoolery.

With regard to the OP's subject, I'd say for some, because they think cables make a difference (I certainly believe they do) and therefore want the best they are willing to afford. For others, different motives might be at work. In any case, whether their choices make sense to me is completely irrelevant.

Of course you have to know your source material and have had experience with equipment used when evaluating new cables. I'd say over a grand maybe for expensive or around $15K if your me:)

I hold the believe that spending 20%-25% of ones audio budget on cables is justifiable. I have a system that retailed at ~$15K however spent ~$8k on it. I have ~$2k spent on cables.

I do not believe i have expensive cables. My friends who own much lessor expensive systems believe my cables to be so. Someone with a ~$200k system and holding to my allocation % would have ~$50k invested, therefore owning expensive cables (by my assessment). However, I believe ownership of these cables to be easily justified.

I also believe that the $50k cables applied to my system would make an improvement, however not be justified as distributing the money across the system would provide greater improvement.

Whatever the cost of a system, component synergy remains most important. Synergy when matching components toward ones personal taste. Cables that do not possess synergy with ones system, or at a cost to obtaining better synergy elsewhere in ones system, are too expensive.