What do audiophiles want from a cable?

In my opinions cables are an essential ingredient in the thrill of realism in music reproduction. My cables including pcs, now represent at least half of the cost of my system. I really don't know where I might further improve my sound, but after the last four years, I cannot say where to try something new. And I should say that at my age I really hope I don't find one.

On double blind listening tastes, I have multiple times participated in them and think they are a complete waste of time as the mind is engaged in a completely different task during them than when we are relaxed and enjoying music. Psychologists using 30 second same or different judgments are wasting their time. It is an invalid measure.

No Randy, wrong again.  I do not sell audio cables or audio equipment... music lover/audio enthusiast here.  My work is in the stone industry.  I'm the granite countertop guy.

If you're an engaged audiophile and have experimented with your system to explore possible improvements to the sound and have not at least investigated the cable issue you may be missing out.  Sad.  As several have correctly posted here, there are very cost effective high performing brands as there are the more expensive spreads.  Do what fits your audio budget.

If you are a cable denier and won't consider the importance of the cables that transmit the audio signal from component to component I guess you don't experience a difference with the quality of tires that connect your car to the road.  Really??

There are many 'audiophiles' who can't hear well. Some of them know it but won't say it in public, some don't know. There are also people who can't afford good stuff including cables, so some of them will devalue what is valuable but out of reach not to get upset too much.
Then there are imbeciles, plain and simple, undeveloped folks.
Whatever it is, arguing would serve no purpose. Those in the know know that cables make big difference, and great cables are always expensive. And they have the right to be.

"If you ...won't consider the importance of the cables that transmit the audio signal from component to component I guess you don't experience a difference with the quality of tires that connect your car to the road."

The above is a really bad analogy and suggests that the poster is ignorant of both audio engineering and mechanical engineering

But it is wrong in a more fundamental sense as well.  It isn't that some "won't consider" it is that in science the affirmative has the burden of proof.

For example, you see a couple of people above making bold claims, but they cannot back it up with ANY real listening tests.  Post the methodology in your own double-blind tests.  Or just tell us what volume of JAES or other engineering or scientific journal the test appeared in.

Also, show where you disconnected and reconnected existing cables to eliminate the effects of removing any corrosion on those connections from your experiment.

Last, we would need to see that any real differences are, in fact, improvements and not simply the result of confirmation bias.