DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

Maybe it would be easier if I told the story of my first truly high end system.  New baby, new house and of course I convinced my wife we needed a proper stereo system!  $40k later, I came home with Levinson separates and Dunlavy SC-5’s, all connected with Transparent Ultra cabling.  After a week of break in time, the system sounded awesome....should have stopped there actually!  At some point I thought, there must be a cheaper cable that can deliver just as good a sound so I could use the profit to try and upgrade my systems components (which were already Reference caliber).  Well, what a mistake that was...couldn’t listen anymore, it was that bad.  Many years later and much audio money exchanged to try various gear and alternative cables, what do ya think I learned?  Some cables can make or break a great system.  Secondly, if you have great gear you should probably keep it and resist the urge to try other so called, improved gear...at the top, it’s all pretty great stuff!  As for the most rewarding listening experiences I’ve had, I would say that my systems always sounded the most like live music when either Transparent or MIT cables were used.  Everything else, to various degrees, may have sounded ok on short sessions, but over time the ear can detect subtle anomalies that can cause you to realize that wire really is wire!  Unless of course the cables  are truly dealing with aspects of signal transmission that degrade the sound.  The difference is quite dramatic and involving.

@gawdbless , yes I bet some would prefer the straightened coat hanger, and then uber expensive cable, and then the coat hanger etc

@cleeds , thank you for that information. Would it be too much to ask for the results of any of these experiments? There's plenty out there that suggest cables don't make any significant difference.
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/testing-audiophile-claims-and-myths.486598/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/10827699/Crossed-wires-are-expensive-cables-a-waste-of-m...

Seriously when you consider all the various switches, diodes, components that the signal has to pass through on it's way from the DAC (or cartridge) to the delicate voice coil wires of the loudspeaker, isn't it a bit like changing the last 6 inches of your cold water pipe and expecting an improvement in taste?

I myself  have tried cables from Linn (k20), Naim (NAC A5), Chord (Odyssey 2- silver plated), solid core lighting flex (it was once all the rage here thanks to Jimmy Hughes - legendary tweaker), and finally oxygen free copper. To this day I have no idea which was the best, or the worst. 

Thankfully many serious manufacturers have resisted the urge to chase the quick buck by diving into this exploitation business. Sony, B&W, ATC, Harbeth, Spendor, Arcam, Marantz, Tannoy etc.

A ready made market there for the taking!  You can imagine how simple it would be for them to start their own line of cables. These companies however are in it for the long term and wish to preserve their credibility and reputation.

One of the things I find extremely curious about much of the commentary on topics like these, is that the lack of first hand experience with much of what is discussed is shocking.  It’s easy to be smug and resolute, or satisfied in ones own ignorance when your experience is limited.  It is not helpful to expound on topics if ones experience is using zip cord and then going hog wild by trying Audioquest or Kimber.  That’s meant in jest of course, but really folks...if you haven’t lived with a good cross section of what’s available then you have very little understanding of what can be achieved.  I have owned a ridiculously large number of cable designs over the last 30 years, and yes, I even had Fulton Gold Speaker Cables (look those up boys and girls)!  Can someone be happy with conventional cable designs that offer slight differences in their ability to alter the frequency response you hear?  Of course, people love affordable bland products (usually high in salt).  To gain a truly realistic experience however, requires innovation, combined with a love of music and an understanding of audio reproduction.  A lot of what is peddled in the realm of cables is nonsense indeed.  Cryo treatments, hyper pure metal, various ways to align the conductors and insulation materials etc... Do they all make a difference?  Sure, but only minor deviations in the resultant experience and definitely not worth the money.  As it turns out, the original big High End cable companies were on to something that could significantly enhance the audio listening experience.  Ironically, they would become the whipping posts for most of the next gen cable companies that evolved and expanded following the newly tapped “Money Trail” that was discovered!  The only real significant ground being blazed today is in wireless or digital technology.  For me, MIT and Transparent cables still perform to a higher standard under most conditions in most systems.  Of course, as is the case with Homo Sapiens, your perspective may vary.

Point blank the ones that say they can’t hear the difference don’t usually have resolving systems and don’t try upper market cables. What they call great sound is just ok sound to most of us with highly resolving systems