why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable


I have tried expensive cables and one's moderately priced. I would say there were some differences but I can't actually say the expensive cables were better. IMHO I believe a lot of people buy expensive cables because they don't actual trust their ears and are afraid of making a mistake. They figure the expensive cables are better for the fact they cost more. If you have a difference of opinion or share the same thoughts, I would like to hear about it.
taters
It would appear that air dielectric cables would not be terribly difficult to make, you just need spacers to keep the conductor centered in the jacket.  Now vacuum cables, if there really are such things, is a horse of a different color.  Of course you can achieve the same thing by suspending non-vacuum cables from the ceiling.

My question would be, are they creating innovation for the sake of offering something new each buying cycle, or to really move the ball forward?  I guess when you employ a R&D team, you need to keep them gainfully employed, whether they launch a rocket every year, or not.

I remember downhill ski manufacturers coming out with "new and improved" skis/bindings/boots every year (sometimes just a different color scheme), and every year, the guys who could ski really well, could still ski really well, no matter what they were skiing on, and the others, well, you get my point.  When they came out with parabolic skis...that was a true rocket launch.

I understand about incrementally moving things forward and such but the consumer pays the freight for all that R&D, and trial and error and, I think with cables, the issue is whether the actual sonic improvement is worth the extraordinary cost of some of the cables being sold.  However, for those who have and want to spend the big bucks, carry on.

Hey Mitch - you probably have some point here - I think that .is 'across the board' of an manufacturing industry or process. If you read an issue of HiFi Critic Martin Colloms is very honest insofar as he will say a previous model is better than the current model. In some cases there are sometimes backward  steps, however, newer models of a type of component usually bring improvements. What I will say, however, within components. some parts are not available or manufactured, or there are restrictions so new is not always better - ie the JFets in the Vendetta SCP2A, the new lead free solder preventing the manufacture of the Connoisseur pre-amps - likewise explaining that KRELL took awhile to get their amps to sound good with lead free solder.
I personally take my time before any changes - in fact it took me around 10 years to fundamentally change my system, and that has been in the areas of speaker cables, and a dedicated mains - wish I did it sooner.
Well when you hear better you fell like you need better and when you have heard some of the more expensive cables help systems sound really good as audiophiles we want whatever we think helps us get there sound wise.  I got spoiled early because I got to hear some the best and some very cutting edge technology equipment and cable wise. That's what creates the hunger to try the really expensive stuff. Curiosity killed the wallet of the audiophile

The point is that all "hi-end"(for whatever it means)) prices are totally baseless B.S., and rip-off. They never justified by any cost of materials or any other logical way or common sense, it never makes any sense at all and sooner or later each of us will confront the fact that $1000 component might sound on par or even better than one for $10,000 and moreover might use same or even better parts. People picking on cables just because it is so obvious to everyone that piece of wire can’t cost $$$$$$). However, components are no different, i.e. parts cost can’t ever justify the hi-end prices. A "trick" of "know how" that’s what sells, let alone those who doesn’t even have any tricks and sell overpriced fancy aluminum boxes, LED lights, fancy shrinks, etc.))). For some reason people, in their mind, identify better looking box with better sounding, without any regard whatsoever to what electronic parts are inside of that box. Bottom line - all this "hi-end" stuff, whether it is a cable or a component, is ridiculously overpriced, no, not "expansive" - OVERPRICED. I think manufacturers, when they sticking those ridiculous price tags on their goods are anticipating that it will be sold for 50%-75% less, however, lately prices went sooo out of hands that even that doesn’t help.)) And it doesn’t even matter how much one making, or what is the economy outside of your listening room, it just ridiculous in a relative term, i.e. how for example DAC can cost $40.000 (let alone speakers and/or turntables for $120,000)?  A car cost that much requires plants, thousands of employees insurances, steel etc, etc., i.e. cost about 100 times more to build. One of my favorites is when something which in real life worth $50 priced about $10,000 but to add some credibility to that bogus, out of blue tag, they make it like $10, 015.23, like it was strictly calculated and justified to the last penny, like they been struggle to bring to you their best price possible but couldn’t make it any better because another .15 cents less would force them out of business.)))))) What a B.S. That’s why used it sells for a penny on a dollar, there are no real value in any of it.