why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

Mapman wrote,

"No manufacturer will knowingly publish something that might limit sales. That's why most speaker makers understate what power is needed for best performance. It would scare off potential customers in many cases if they told them how much power was needed for optimal performance."

I actually don't think that's true. I am pretty sure most speaker manufacturers state the MINIMUM power required. They also frequently state the MAXIMUM POWER Handling capability. It's also why speaker manufactures usually state sensitivity, you know, to indicate relative power required.

I saw this heaDLINE TODAY:

"'COLOSSAL WASTE': US spent $43M to build $500,000 Afghan gas station"

That's 86X too much it would seem.

Geoff my point is that vendor specs are usually specified loosely because if used teh results will often at least satisy most people. That's different than specifying what is needed for best performance in order to satisfy audiophiles.

Maybe some high end companies do, but most vendors overall do not If they do, they limit their market to a select few and must price higher accordingly in order to make enough profit off of fewer units sold.

Just saying that proper application of specifications will likely lead to decent but not optimal results.

In regards to some of the above discussion, cables can't add something to the sound or signal since they are passive. I've always thought that the best ones do no harm so you can hear everything if your system is up to snuff.

Or do I have it wrong?

And, Melbguy, you insult people and then expect an audience when you post?

"I actually don't think that's true. I am pretty sure most speaker manufacturers state the MINIMUM power required. They also frequently state the MAXIMUM POWER Handling capability. It's also why speaker manufactures usually state sensitivity, you know, to indicate relative power required.
Geoffkait (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

I have to agree. Although I can understand Mapman's comments. I just think its the other way around. If you look at how amp company's rate their products, its almost criminal. Not all of them, but the closer you get to mass market, the more bogus the ratings. I think that leaves speaker manufacturers in a bad place because there's no standard. The average person would think a 200 watt Bryston amp is a rip off because they can buy a Sony receiver in BB for less than the sales tax on the Bryston.