Who makes budget speaker cables which are truly “good” or “exceptional” in quality?

Peter Walker was one of the most gifted and orginal amplifier designers, designing, first, an excellent for the day valve amplifier, next, one of the first high quality solid state amplifiers (the 33/303), designing very practical tone control and filter systems for these, and next the very clever concept of current dumping for the 405 power amplifier, still used in modern Quad power amplifiers. He was also the designer of the first practical full range electrostatic loudspeaker (the ELS 57 still admired by many) and next the ELS63 with its delay lines, a design that is still at the heart of the current Quad electrostats, viewed by quite a few as the most natural speakers money can buy.
Have you designed something better in the history of home audio?

Not to malign Peter Walker but he also used the absolute worst audio contact ever namely the DIN plug and sockets. The level of hum these things gave drove people to distraction and anyway one could not use any thicker cables in those other than the flying leads they supplied with their amplifiers. I remember in the late 70s a kit came out to adapt the 405 to take RCA phonos and when I did it and used what was audioquest cables the difference in quallity was astonishing. Mr Walkers company was not long in adapting their own production line to take the RCA phono sockets and the current dumping amp then moved up the field to take on later companies like Meridian and Marantz. As Geoff says they did put a big metal grill over their speakers and once when I was cleaning my 57s I left the front grill off and powered them up then had a listen to them . It was night and day the level of resolution flew up and they really opened up. Much as I loved the sound I had to put the grill back on as I had an infant daughter crawling around and didn't want to see her getting fried.
To the questioner I have to say that in my humble opinion there are not many cheap cables the come close to well designed thicker cables with anti RFI screening. I use JPS Kaptovators for my mains and NBS Interconnects for my equiptment and though I have tried other cables in my setup I have to say I am sticking to what I have now as other cables don't give me the levels of detail I get now.

the good news is it's free/cheap and easy to decide for yourself. some designers believe in cables, some don't, some don't say...just need to separate opinion from fact, as the line often gets blurred here...

though I do agree with Pass Labs advice that cables should cost less than the amplifier...

..another fan of ClearDay shotguns.....if you contact Paul, he'll most likely send you an audition sample for free.  Take advantage of his offer.