why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

D2girls...might I suggest a veteran source for free advice who also handles MIT cables online.  Call Joe Abrams at Equus Audio.  He has been in the high end industry for his entire life and can offer exceptional savings on all MIT cables.  He has cables for sale on Audiogon as well.  Enjoy

Do your research and DO NOT take recommendations from people who have already been swayed into spending too much money on exotic, overpriced, ineffective cables.  Accessory interconnects can only, if at all, provide very subtle improvements to audio listening and they are certainly NOT worth the ridiculous premium prices.  

Try to find, for example, any high end speaker manufacturer, who does not also manufacture interconnects, who will suggest that exotic, expensive are needed to enhance their speakers' performance.

Dynaquest14 sounds reasonable and has probably found himself content within his own means, meager as they may or may not be.  My recommendations are based upon over 40 years of owning a very large portion of the gear many people talk about but have not owned.  Many cables have entered my various systems over the years and although there may be some good values available, none have provided the startlingly dramatic improvements that MIT cables have provided....even the lower cost offerings are quite amazing at allowing your listening sessions to transport you to the actual event!  I have put my money where my mouth is and have found that wire definitely is wire...MIT offers a musical experience far beyond just wire.

I have found very few speaker or electronics manufacturers who will recommend any particular cable, brand or model - probably cannot afford to offend any of their dealers that do not carry that brand. And it certainly would make sales tougher if customers were told they also had to buy expensive cables. Though most manufacturers seem to use expensive cables to demonstrate their gear at shows.