why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

"Clearly, the big fat stiff cables are making up for other deficiences in other areas. "

Sorry to disappoint you but no, not the case 🤣!

" Because they are scientifically illiterate. People who fall for "audiophile grade" cables (or even worse, for example, "directional fuses") and similar audio trinkets are in the same league with anti vaxxers, flat earthers, lunar landing deniers, GMO panic mongers and 9/11 truthers. A bunch of sad but dangerous fantasists."

Sad to say, also not the case here ("scientifically illiterate", etc...) and I suspect with others on the forum who happen to have heard differences between stock cables/zip-cord and the cables they now own.....

I’ve posted this before and will say it again for clarity,...this is a hobby, people are free to believe and do as they will. If you don’t hear differences then don’t buy cables and furthermore, don’t insult people in broad stroke manners just because some of us don’t believe as you do....

This statement and many other similar ones on this thread and parallel threads that attempt to paint a broad stroke characterization of all audiophiles who happen to find cables make a difference, as weak-minded, pliable, easily fooled, etc...and somehow enforce your view of the world and your agenda as a truth that must apply to all is simply not true. From my side I can personally recount 3 times in the last 11 years alone where (1) I ripped out an entire loom of a highly-thought of brand of expensive power cords, went back to stock cords and determined the stock cords were more natural sounding and that as the loom of pcs had grown, a mistake had been made that resulted in accumulated house sound. Same with 2 different iterations of a combination of speaker cables and interconnects from 2 different high-end cable manufacturers at various points. Each time I either returned to stock PCs or to very low-cost interconnects and speaker cables. There were things the low cost approach cables did not give me that I determined to live without and many that I did hear that I liked.
I’ve also cut into or unwrapped more than a few cables in my time to see what’s inside and realize there are a few brands out there that are simply full of shite and pulling one over on many of us music lovers.

I only ’went back’ to after-market cables because I happened to try interconnects, power cords and/or speaker wire that helped my system sound better (to me) and (for me) more natural, musical and enjoyable.

I’m not here to give examples of the "B.S." cable choices I’ve experienced, nor am I going to give the names of the brands that I ripped out of the system or the higher end brand I wound up going moving to in order to promote them. Like another poster, I am results-oriented; I would never have agreed to go back on the ’spend more/pray for good results" merry go round if I had not heard truly remarkable differences when the cables in question were put in place My only purpose here is to tell you that you are wrong about many audiophiles, including several I know well and myself that have all walked similar roads making mistakes and moving past them in various ways. We are not uneducated, unscientific or any other negative label you want to ascribe.

There seems to be a downturn/trend on Audiogon over the last couple of years and this thread and others like it which are indicative of the moving away from people helping each other to the best of their ability to a forum where people like to stir the pot, criticize others and hide behind their monikers. IMHO, not good for the hobby and for relations in general, but hey, what do I know, I like my cables and how my system sounds so I must be wrong?

Nice post Zephyr24069
There has been a lot of broad-brush painting here lately.
I agree that folks should buy what they want and what makes them happy with their systems.  While I enjoy the discourse about the science behind different designs and materials, and while I do hear differences in components (always), cables (usually), and tweaks (sometimes), I also understand that "value" is a concept that is unique to an individual's own perception so the problem begins when people want to prescribe a universal "value" that should be adopted by all.  The issue has been fueled by people so vehemently promoting and defending their points of view and by their labeling and name-calling (while sometimes humorous), which has reached a level of divisiveness I do not remember on this forum.  Many posts seem to promote the idea that folks must prescribe to one of only two camps (i.e., believers or naysayers), with no middle ground.  The presentation of opinions as "absolutes," the sensational and dramatized accounts of system changes (totally transformed) resulting from a cable change or turning around a fuse, the unbending use of science to say that something "can't possibly make a difference," and the amount of money charged for seemingly typical stuff (like a fuse), have the two sides lined up like a game of dodgeball. 

Thank you....very much appreciate your positive comments.  

To those who don't believe cables are worth the money, make a difference, etc....I appreciate your opinions as well and try to learn from them questioning my choices in the future with a more critical eye (ears and brain actually). The only issue I have is the apparent need to bash and insult others broadly or individually.

What is the problem here? If you don't believe higher priced cables make a difference, don't buy them.

I don't really understand all this angst to scientifically "prove" something that, at the end of the day, is 100% subjective? 

That's a bit like trying to prove that classical music is superior to jazz?